Table 1

Characteristics of study participants (n=63), and clinical characteristics of their melanomas, comparing thinner (n=33) and thicker (n=30) melanomas

Thinner melanomas (<1 mm Breslow thickness)Thicker melanomas (>2 mm Breslow thickness)
Age at interview
 Mean age±SD (range)60.5±14.6 (29–85)66.1±15.5 (36–93)
  Less than 60 years (n=23)14 (61%) 9 (39%)
  60 years and over (n=40)19 (47%)21 (53%)
Gender
 Male14 (42%)17 (58%)
 Female19 (58%)13 (42%)
Education
 No further education21 (64%)21 (70%)
 Further education12 (36%)9 (30%)
Fitzpatrick scale: skin colour*
 Type I (white skin, very fair)7 (21%)2 (6%)
 Type II (white skin, fair)6 (18%)11 (37%)
 Type III (creamy white, any hair)17 (52%)16 (53%)
 Type IV (brown, Mediterranean)3 (9%)1 (3%)
Fitzpatrick scale: skin reaction to sun*
 Type I (always burns, never tans)4 (12%)3 (10%)
 Type II (usually burns, tans with difficulty)11 (33%)10 (33%)
 Type III (sometimes mild burn, gradually tans)10 (30%)11 (37%)
 Type IV (rarely burns, tans easily)6 (18%)6 (20%)
 Type V (very rarely burns, tans very easily)2 (7%)0
Melanoma location
 Head and neck6 (18%)9 (30%)
 Trunk†9 (27%)4 (14%)
 Upper limb10 (30%)7 (23%)
 Lower limb8 (24%)10 (33%)
Melanoma type
 Superficial spreading melanoma (SSM)25 (76%)10 (33%)
 Nodular melanoma (NM)010 (33%)
 Lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM)7 (21%)2 (7%)
 Others‡1 (3%)8 (27%)
Melanoma TNM stage
 I§33 (100%)0
 II¶023 (77%)
 III**07 (23%)
 IV00
  • *Self-reported, not verified in medical records.

  • †Includes melanomas on the back (thinner 6, 18%; thicker 3, 10%).

  • ‡Thinner: mixed type (SSM and NM)×1; thicker: LMM 2, acral 1, malignant blue naevus 1, unclassified 6.

  • §Stage IA=27, stage IB=6 (T1–2a, N0, M0).

  • ¶Stage IIA=11, stage IIB=5, stage IIC=7 (T2b–4b, N0, M0).

  • **Stage IIIA=6, stage IIIB=1 (T1a–4a, N1a–2c, M0).

  • LMM, lentigo maligna melanomas; NM, nodular melanomas; SSM, superficial spreading melanomas; TNM, TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours (TNM system).