Invited Commentary

Commentary on “Changing Age Distribution of Patients with Melanoma”

Authors: Rita Pichardo-Geisinger, MD

Abstract

In this issue of the Southern Medical Journal, Paul et al report on their investigation concerning age-specific and sex-specific incidences of cutaneous melanoma in a single geographic location, the Tidewater region of Virginia, and in which the vast majority of pathologic interpretations of melanoma were rendered by the same pathologist during the 22-year period of study.1 The authors state that this is an investigational milieu with few uncontrolled variables. Clearly, this resolves the all-too-well-recognized sizable interobserver variability in histological diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions; however, one potential source of discrepancy relates to the fact that the Tidewater region is the home base for military personnel and their families. Because of this, the population studied may not be as stable as it would be for other sites of similar size. We are not informed whether individuals in the military were included as patients.

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References

1. Paul J, Sbicca JA, Hirano SA, et al. Changing age distribution of patients with melanoma. South Med J. 2013; 106: 667–672.
 
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