Professor Reinhard Dummer leads a team of ca. 15 practitioners at the Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital. He is board certified in dermatology and allergology and clinical immunology. His research includes in particular the immune biology of cutaneous lymphomas, cutaneous melanomas, and epithelial skin cancers, and this research has led to immune interventions in cell cultures and animal models and to translational research. He is the author of more than 300 original articles and is a recognized opinion leader in cutaneous oncology worldwide. Professor Dummer is past president of the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas, a board member of the European Association for Dermatological Oncology, and past president for the European Society for Dermatological Research.

Mark Pittelkow is a Professor of Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA and is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology. His research interests are broad and include cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, cutaneous carcinoma, and especially melanoma. He is a member of the Mayo Clinic Melanoma Study Group. Professor Pittelkow is the author of numerous scientific articles on diverse aspects of dermatology.

Professor Keiji Iwatsuki graduated from Hokkaido University School of Medicine and received his PhD from Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. He is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry. His research interests include virus-related lymphomas and autoimmune diseases and he has an impressive publication record.

Adele Green is Professor of Epidemiology in the Epithelial Sciences Research Group, School of Translational Medicine, University of Manchester; Deputy Director, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), Brisbane, Australia; and Head, Population and Cancer Studies Unit, QIMR. She also holds Professorships at the University of Queensland and Griffith University. In 2004 she was named in the Australian Honours List as a Companion of the Order of Australia. She has served on many Australian research bodies and has also been a chair or member of many committees at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. Her main area of interest is cancer epidemiology, with a particular focus on melanoma and other skin cancers.

Nagwa M. Elwan is Professor of Dermatology at the Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt. She is a member of the Egyptian Society of Dermatology, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatopathology, the International Society of Dermatopathology, and the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphoma. Professor Elwan is the author of more than 50 research articles on dermatopathology, acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, lymphoma, and leprosy and has been guest speaker at many national and international dermatology meetings.

1;Skin Cancer - A World-WidePerspective;3 1.1;Copyright Page;4 1.2;Preface;5 1.3;Contents;7 1.4;Part 1: Epidemiology;13 1.4.1;1.1: Epidemiology of Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin;14 1.4.1.1;1.1.1 Introduction;14 1.4.1.2;1.1.2 Basal Cell Carcinoma Epidemiology;14 1.4.1.2.1;1.1.2.1 Geographic Variation;14 1.4.1.2.2;1.1.2.2 Temporal Trends;14 1.4.1.2.3;1.1.2.3 Age and Sex Distributions;14 1.4.1.2.4;1.1.2.4 Incidence by Anatomical Site;15 1.4.1.2.5;1.1.2.5 Repeated Occurrence;15 1.4.1.3;1.1.3 Squamous Cell Carcinoma Epidemiology;15 1.4.1.3.1;1.1.3.1 Geographic Variation;15 1.4.1.3.2;1.1.3.2 Temporal Trends;15 1.4.1.3.3;1.1.3.3 Age and Sex Distributions;16 1.4.1.3.4;1.1.3.4 Incidence by Anatomical Site;16 1.4.1.3.5;1.1.3.5 Repeated Occurrence;16 1.4.1.3.6;1.1.3.6 Actinic Keratoses;16 1.4.1.4;1.1.4 Risk Factors for Basal Cell Carcinoma;17 1.4.1.4.1;1.1.4.1 Genetic Factors;17 1.4.1.4.1.1;1.1.4.1.1 Patched Mutations and the Sonic Hedgehog Pathway;17 1.4.1.4.1.2;1.1.4.1.2 DNA Repair Defects;17 1.4.1.4.1.3;1.1.4.1.3 Detoxifying Proteins;17 1.4.1.4.1.4;1.1.4.1.4 The p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene;17 1.4.1.4.2;1.1.4.2 Solar Radiation;18 1.4.1.4.2.1;1.1.4.2.1 Sunscreen Use;18 1.4.1.4.3;1.1.4.3 Dietary Factors;18 1.4.1.4.4;1.1.4.4 Other Risk Factors;18 1.4.1.5;1.1.5 Risk Factors for Squamous Cell Carcinoma;19 1.4.1.5.1;1.1.5.1 Genetic Factors;19 1.4.1.5.2;1.1.5.2 Solar Radiation;19 1.4.1.5.2.1;1.1.5.2.1 Sunscreen Use;19 1.4.1.5.3;1.1.5.3 Human Papilloma Virus;19 1.4.1.5.4;1.1.5.4 Dietary Factors;20 1.4.1.5.5;1.1.5.5 Other Risk Factors;20 1.4.1.6;References;20 1.4.2;1.2: Epidemiology of Malignant Melanoma;24 1.4.2.1;1.2.1 Introduction;24 1.4.2.2;1.2.2 Patterns of Melanoma Incidence and Mortality;24 1.4.2.2.1;1.2.2.1 Geographic Variation;24 1.4.2.2.2;1.2.2.2 Temporal Trends;25 1.4.2.2.2.1;1.2.2.2.1 Incidence;25 1.4.2.2.2.2;1.2.2.2.2 Mortality;25 1.4.2.2.3;1.2.2.3 Age and Sex Distributions;25 1.4.2.2.4;1.2.2.4 Incidence by Anatomical Site;26 1.4.2.3;1.2.3 Analytical Epidemiology: Risk Factors for Melanoma;26 1.4.2.3.1;1.2.3.1 Environmental Factors;26 1.4.2.3.1.1;1.2.3.1.1 Opposition to the Sunlight Hypothesis;26 1.4.2.3.1.2;1.2.3.1.2 The "Critical Period" Hypothesis for Sun Exposure;27 1.4.2.3.1.3;1.2.3.1.3 Patterns of Exposure;27 1.4.2.3.1.4;1.2.3.1.4 Artificial Sources of Ultraviolet Radiation;28 1.4.2.3.2;1.2.3.2 Host Factors for Melanoma;28 1.4.2.3.3;1.2.3.3 Genes and Melanoma;28 1.4.2.3.3.1;1.2.3.3.1 High-Risk Genes;28 1.4.2.3.3.2;1.2.3.3.2 Low-Risk Genes;29 1.4.2.4;1.2.4 Multiple Causal Pathways to Melanoma?;30 1.4.2.4.1;1.2.4.1 Variations in Site-Specific Incidence of Melanoma with Age;30 1.4.2.4.2;1.2.4.2 Risk Factors for Melanoma at Different Anatomical Sites;30 1.4.2.4.3;1.2.4.3 Nevus-Associated Melanomas Differ from Other Melanomas;31 1.4.2.4.4;1.2.4.4 Population Heterogeneity in Nevus Burden;31 1.4.2.4.5;1.2.4.5 The Hypothesis of Divergent Causal Pathways to Melanoma;31 1.4.2.4.5.1;1.2.4.5.1 Ecological Studies;32 1.4.2.4.5.2;1.2.4.5.2 Risk Factor Studies;32 1.4.2.4.5.3;1.2.4.5.3 Somatic Mutation Studies;32 1.4.2.5;1.2.5 Conclusions;33 1.4.2.6;References;33 1.4.3;1.3: Epidemiology of Cutaneous Lymphomas;38 1.4.3.1;References;42 1.4.4;1.4: Epidemiology of Histocytoses;43 1.4.4.1;1.4.1 Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis;43 1.4.4.2;1.4.2 Indeterminate Cell Histiocytosis;43 1.4.4.3;1.4.3 Sinus Histiocytosis with Massive Lymphadenopathy (Rosai-Dorfman Disease);43 1.4.4.4;1.4.4 Juvenile Xanthogranuloma;43 1.4.4.5;1.4.5 Reticulohistiocytosis;43 1.4.4.6;References;44 1.4.5;1.5: Epidemiology of Kaposi Sarcoma;45 1.4.5.1;1.5.1 Endemic African KS;45 1.4.5.2;1.5.2 Epidemic or AIDS Associated KS;46 1.4.5.3;1.5.3 Immunosuppression: Associated or Iatrogenic KS;46 1.4.5.4;1.5.4 Epidemiology of KS Associated Herpes Virus (KSHV);46 1.4.5.5;References;46 1.4.6;1.6: Epidemiology of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans;48 1.4.6.1;References;48 1.4.7;1.7: Epidemiology of Merkel Cell Carcinoma;49 1.4.7.1;1.7.1 Definition;49 1.4.7.2;1.7.2 Incidence;49