Geographic Variations in Cutaneous Melanoma Distribution in the Russian Federation

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous melanoma (CM) incidence has been increasing around the world. The goal of this study is to describe geographic trends in incidence and mortality of CM in Russia between 2001 and 2017. Methods: To achieve this we used geo-informatic technique (mapping) and descriptive statistical analysis. Additionally, we studied the associations between ethnicity, geographic latitude/longitude, and CM incidence/mortality rates. We retrospectively analyzed the data from the Moscow Oncology Research Institute, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, for the period of the study. Routine methods of descriptive epidemiology were used to study incidence and mortality rates by age groups, years, and jurisdictions (i.e., Federal Districts and Federal Subjects of Russia). Results: In total, 141,597 patients were diagnosed with melanoma in Russia over the period 2001-2017, of whom 62% were women. The overall agestandardized incidence and mortality rates were 4.27/100,000 and 1.62/100,000, respectively. Geographic mapping revealed north-to-south and east-to-west gradients. As the study was fully descriptive, retrospective, and based on official statistical reports, detailed characteristics of clinical forms, anatomic sites, Breslow depth, and treatments could not be analyzed. Conclusions: This study outlined the burden of melanoma in the Russian Federation, and the trends were similar to those observed in countries with similar latitudes and skin phenotype. The importance of the skin color gradient and recreational/cultural practices were some of the most important risk factors highlighted in this study for the development of melanoma in Russia.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Distribution in the Russian Federation

“…Based on this and our previous report [22] it is evident that (A) the intrinsic patient characteristics (i.e., skin phototype/cultural dress practices), (B) latitude, and (C) climate zones are likely the defining risk factors for skin cancer in Russia. The interplay of these factors is critical in determining the final NMSC rate.…”

“…Using the methodology in our previous studies on melanoma in Canada [19-21, 26] and Russia [22], we re-calculated the Russian official data using available demographic data from the Census [3] and computed the corresponding 95% CIs [25, 27]. The overall annual crude incidence rate of NMSC per 100,000 population for 2007–2017 was 46.38 per year (95% CI 43.54–49.21), but the age-standardized incidence rate was 29.64 (95% CI 28.46–30.82).…”

“…The Russian Federation ethnicity census data for 2002 and 2010 was extracted for the regions of interest. Two groups of nationalities were defined: individuals with light skin complexion (Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Eastern European Jewish, Finnish, and German) and all other nationalities residing in Russia with darker skin phototypes (Fitzpatrick III–IV), as previously described [22]. Table 1 presents incidence rates with Fitzpatrick skin phototypes for these regions.…”

“…The interplay of these factors is critical in determining the final NMSC rate. For example, in Tyva, a jurisdiction in the Siberian Federal District, where part of the land has permafrost, some of the lowest rates for both melanoma and NMSC were documented [22]. In addition to a colder climate, the region is populated by individuals with darker skin phototype (81.7% of the population being Fitzpatrick ≥III).…”

“…The aim of this this study was to analyze the existing data using novel approaches to improve our knowledge on epidemiological peculiarities of NMSC in this wide, diverse, and multi-national region of the world and compare our findings to other European countries. We utilized the same methodology as reported in our analyses of cutaneous melanoma in Canada and in Russia [19-22].…”