Skin Melanoma (C43): Analysing Incidence and Mortality Trends in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Molecular Epidemiology

Abstract

Melanoma is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer characterised by high potential for metastasis as well as molecular genetic diversity. The incidence of skin melanoma is steadily increasing all over the world. For example, in Russia for the period 2001-2021, the prevalence of melanoma increased by 1.5 times per 100 000. The rate of melanoma detection in screenings and preventive examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased by 4.7% compared to 2019. The pandemic disrupted cancer services worldwide, which resulted in a decline in malignancy rates due to insufficient detection, that will likely lead to an increase in the number of neglected conditions in the future. In Russia, despite the development and introduction of modern treatment methods into clinical practice, there is a high level of standardized mortality compared to world statistics. At the same time, increasing early detection of melanoma remains the main strategy to reduce mortality. Exploring somatic DNA variations provides insight into the overall mutational burden underlying melanoma etiology and opens the possibility of precision therapy. However, a number of factors that influence the development of melanoma requires more careful study to understand the pathogenesis in detail and to find new targets for therapy. This review aims to evaluate the main epidemiological characteristics (morbidity, mortality) of skin melanoma worldwide and in Russia, and to analyze the current state and applications of molecular epidemiology.