THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PEDIATRICIAN IN PREVENTION OF MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

In the last decades the rates of malignant melanoma show a terrible in cidence. First of all this is caused by elevated sun exposure of peopl e with the skin-types I and II in their holidays. There are many case- controll-studies demonstrating that sun-exposure is of very high dange r for children and adolescents. A significant correlation exists betwe en sunburns before 20 years of age and melanoma-incidence. In the prop hylaxis of malignant melanoma the paediatrician has the following four duties: warning of elevated sun exposure, knowledge of precursor lesi ons of melanoma (congenital and dysplastic nevi), knowledge and cure o f patients with risk for malignant melanoma and knowledge of initial s igns of malignant melanoma.