Seasonal patterns of skin melanoma incidence in Hawaii.

Abstract

We analyzed the seasonal pattern of diagnosis of malignant melanoma of the skin among Caucasians in Hawaii during 1960-1978. For all cases combined, a significant sine-wave pattern with a summertime peak was found. This pattern was most pronounced for melanoma of head and neck and lower extremities and for persons age 50 and over. These findings support the hypothesis that solar ultraviolet radiation may be a short-term promoter of some malignant melanomas of the skin.