Worldwide Increasing Incidences of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma

Figure 2

The incidence of CMM in the world’s white populations for the year 2000 based on IARC data. The trend line indicates an increasing exponential incidence with decreasing latitude; however, a reversal appears to occur above ~50°N where the incidence increases with increasing latitude. Both Northern Europe and New Zealand, where there is ozone depletion, only have linear increases in the incidence of CMM; whereas, everywhere else in the world the increasing incidence is exponential. Note that in Northern Europe only Iceland has an exponential increase in CMM.