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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Skin Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 7509

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Prof. Dr. Annette Pfahlberg

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Guest Editor

Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: epidemiology of melanoma; prevention of skin cancer; ultraviolet radiation; reduction of ultraviolet radiation in child care settings

Prof. Dr. Katharina Diehl

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Guest Editor

Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology; Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: mixed methods research; UV-related risk behaviors; (artificial) tanning; health in adolescents
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Dear Colleagues,

The overall incidence and prevalence of melanoma and keratinocyte carcinoma, including basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, have increased in recent decades. Roughly one in every three newly diagnosed cancers is a skin cancer, and between 2 and 3 million keratinocyte carcinomas and more than 130,000 melanomas occur globally every year. The public health importance of skin cancer is enormous for all countries with a predominantly fair-skinned population. Epidemiologic research has identified preventable risk factors for the various types of skin cancer, while numerous intervention trials have explored the effects of targeted preventive strategies.

This Special Issue invites the submission of papers on all these aspects related to public health and the prevention of skin cancer. Papers describing epidemiologic and public health studies on this topic are welcome, as are papers describing the design and implementation of targeted prevention programs and initiatives aiming at a reduction in skin cancer risk. Papers reporting original data from quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods studies as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Annette Pfahlberg
Prof. Dr. Katharina Diehl
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

melanoma
basal cell carcinoma
squamous cell carcinoma
prevention of skin cancer
epidemiology of skin cancer
ultraviolet radiation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 847 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Melanoma Diagnosis: Increased Breslow Thickness in Primary Melanomas—A Single Center Experience

by Jelena Jeremić, Branko Suđecki, Kristina Radenović, Jovan Mihaljević, Ivan Radosavljević, Milan Jovanović, Nataša Milić, Vedrana Pavlović, Dimitrije Brašanac and Marko Jović

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16806; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416806 - 14 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1949

Abstract

Early melanoma diagnosis plays a key role in ensuring best prognosis with good survival rates. The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted global and national healthcare systems, thus making it a real challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on diagnostic delay in melanoma patients in Serbia. In this retrospective study, we included patients treated at the university hospital in Serbia’s capitol over a period of five years and three months. We compared the prepandemic (01/JAN/17-14/MAR/20) and pandemic periods (15/MAR/20-31/MAR/22) by evaluating patient demographic data, melanoma subtype, Breslow thickness, Clark level, ulceration status, mitotic index rate and pT staging. We observed a significant reduction in the number of diagnosed patients (86.3 vs. 13.7%; p = 0.036), with melanomas having an increased median Breslow thickness (1.80 vs. 3.00; p = 0.010), a higher percentage of Clark IV–V level lesions (44.0% vs. 63.0%; p = 0.009), an increase in median mitotic index rate (2 vs. 5; p < 0.001) and a trend of increase in lesions thicker than 2 mm (37.8% vs. 53.7%; p = 0.026). We believe that this study can be a useful scenario guide for future similar events, highlighting the importance of preventive measures and timely diagnosis for the best patient outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Prevention of Skin Cancer)

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9 pages, 347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Melanoma Diagnosis in Romania—Data from Two University Centers

by Loredana Ungureanu, Adina Patricia Apostu, Ștefan Cristian Vesa, Alexandra Elena Cășeriu, Simona Frățilă, Gabriela Iancu, Nona Bejinariu, Maximilian Munteanu, Simona C. Șenilă and Alina Vasilovici

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15129; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215129 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1499

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the healthcare system in our country and led non-COVID patients to postpone medical visits that were not urgent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic on the trends in melanoma diagnosis and to compare the pathological characteristics of melanoma patients before and during the pandemic. The number of primary cutaneous melanomas diagnosed each month between 1 March 2019 and 29 February 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021 (COVID-19) in the North-Western Region of Romania (Cluj and Bihor counties) was determined. The pathological characteristics of melanomas diagnosed in the two intervals were compared. The number of melanoma diagnoses substantially decreased during the pandemic, with 66 (−19.3%) fewer cutaneous melanomas being diagnosed in the first year of the pandemic when compared with the previous year. The tumor thickness and mitotic rate were significantly higher in cases found during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study suggests that COVID-19 has delayed diagnosis in patients with melanoma, leading to the detection of thicker melanomas that may increase morbidity and mortality. Further studies are needed to determine the consequences of this delay on outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Prevention of Skin Cancer)

13 pages, 1746 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sun Protection and Tanning Behaviors in Caregivers: Prevalence, Determinants, and Associations with Children’s Behaviors

by Katharina Diehl, Karlijn Thoonen, Eckhard W. Breitbart, Annette B. Pfahlberg and Tatiana Görig

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6876; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116876 - 4 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1797

Abstract

The association between skin cancer and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is well established, and sun protection behavior represents an important preventative measure. In children, caregivers play a key role in this regard. The subject of this study was threefold: whether caregivers of 1 to 11 year-old children are more likely to use sun protection measures compared to non-caregivers, whether considering oneself a role model is associated with sun protection behaviors, and whether their sun protection and risk behaviors are related to children’s behaviors. We used data from the 2020 wave of the National Cancer Aid Monitoring (NCAM) comprised of 4000 individuals (including 554 caregivers of at least one child aged 1–10 years) aged 16 to 65 years and living in Germany. Data were collected through telephone interviews between October and December 2020. No significant differences between caregivers and non-caregivers regarding sun protection and risk behaviors were identified (except tanning on vacation). In both groups, sun protection behaviors were deficient. Caregivers who considered themselves role models concerning sun safety were more likely to use sun protection measures (e.g., using sunscreen on the face: OR = 5.08, p < 0.001). In addition, caregivers’ sun protection behaviors were positively associated with children’s behaviors. Caregivers being highly protected against UVR were more likely to report the use of different measures by/in the child (mean = 4.03), compared to caregivers with medium (3.41) and low (2.97, p < 0.001) protection levels. However, we also found that caregivers’ risk behavior was associated with children’s reported risk behavior. For future prevention, it might be worth focusing on the aspect of caregivers serving as role models. A comprehensive public-health strategy is needed, including key figures such as pediatricians to prevent today’s children from developing skin cancer in later life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Prevention of Skin Cancer)

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7 pages, 303 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Incongruence between Physician, Patient, and Medical Chart Report of Skin Cancer Prevention Counseling

by Natalie H. Matthews, Augustine W. Kang, Martin A. Weinstock and Patricia Markham Risica

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6853; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116853 - 3 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1614

Abstract

Skin cancer incidence in the United States has risen rapidly in recent decades, underscoring the need for accessible and effective prevention practices. Skin cancer prevention counseling can lead to increased sun protective behavior and early detection; however, little is understood regarding the frequency and content of counseling among primary care providers (PCPs). We performed multi-center cross-sectional surveys among 53 providers and 3343 of their patients and chart review asking whether skin cancer prevention counseling occurred and details of that counseling. Only 10–25% of patients reported that counseling occurred. Among the providers who reported counseling, there were higher odds that their patients recollected they were advised to use sunscreen or protective clothing, on how to use sunscreen, on signs of skin cancer, to perform a self-skin exam (all p < 0.001), and were provided with written materials (p < 0.01). Eight percent of prevention counseling was chart documented despite being highly associated with patient and physician recollection of counseling (p < 0.001). These results highlight the need for consistent and clear delivery of skin cancer primary prevention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Prevention of Skin Cancer)

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