"True" incidence of skin melanoma, based on a massive 3-day early diagnosis campaign in a big industrial city

Skin melanoma (SM) is a malignant tumor that is quite rarely diagnosed in Russia. However, both absolute and relative numbers (incidence) of patients with this diagnosis are growing. The trend persists for many years, but the official incidence rate does not reflect the true picture, so it is likely to be lower than the true one. The aim of the study was to calculate the assumed incidence of skin melanoma based on the data from a large-scale early diagnosis campaign. Materials and Methods. In 2019, 800 patients were examined during a 3-day campaign in the Samara region. A non-invasive diagnostic method (digital dermatoscopy), a multi-agent technology based on artificial intelligence and a proprietary technology (patent No. 2018620399, No. 2018613016) were used during the campaign. Four skin melanomas were identified at an early, pre-invasive stage. Results. Two different methods (depending on the percentage of population coverage and the campaign duration), made it possible to calculate a true indicator of the skin melanoma incidence. Conclusion. It was possible to adjust the "true" incidence rate of skin melanoma. In 2019, it ranged from 9.65 to 15.31 per 100 000 people, which is significantly higher than the official rate registered that year (8.11 per 100 000 population).