Malignant Melanoma in Gippsland, Victoria: Incidence and a Study of 65 Cases

A retrospective survey has demonstrated the incidence of malignant melanoma in Gippsland, south-eastern Victoria, to be higher than expected (6.8 per 100,000 of population per year) but lower than the incidence in Queensland (16.4 per 100,000 of population per year) (Davis et alii, 1966). The clinical history and results of pathological investigations of 66 primary cutaneous melanomas from 65 patients are reported and compared with results from the Queensland Melanoma Project. There was a high incidence of primary lesions on the legs of females and on the head and neck of patients over the age of 50 years. On the basis of the histopathological findings, it would appear that patients from Gippsland have a poorer prognosis than those from Queensland. A prospective survey has been organized in order to follow the histories of patients and thus determine the results of treatment of malignant melanoma in Gippsland.