Medico-social aspects of acral skin melanoma

The relevance of the study lies in the fact that acral skin melanoma is a subgroup of skin melanoma diseases characterized by a more malignant course. The aim of the study was to investigate certain medico-social features of a group of patients with acral skin melanoma. The materials and methods included data from the population cancer registry, outpatient cards, and medical histories of the entire general population of patients with skin melanoma, acral melanoma, and various benign skin neoplasms who received treatment at the State Budgetary Healthcare Institution Samara Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary (GBUZ SOKOD) from 2000 to 2022. Two groups were formed: 233 patients with verified acral melanoma (66 men, 167 women) and 415 patients with benign skin neoplasms. Analysis was conducted on anatomical localization, internal environment factors (comorbid autoimmune diseases, phenotypic traits, presence of other malignant neoplasms and melanoma in history), and external social factors (education, patient awareness of disease signs, initiator of medical consultation). Results: Acral melanoma predominantly affects the lower extremities (71.67%), especially the nail phalanx of the first toe (47.9%); among patients with acral melanoma, higher education prevails (42.29%) and awareness of melanoma signs is 45.06%; consultation initiation is mostly self-initiated (80.63%); autoimmune diseases and family history of melanoma are rare (<3%); light phenotype dominates (blondes — 88.3%). Conclusions: Acral skin melanoma is characterized by specific localization and low hereditary predisposition; social factors (education, awareness) contribute to early diagnosis, emphasizing the need for enhanced health education to reduce mortality.