Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of melanoma

Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, and comprehensive, up-to-date, evidence-based national guidelines for its management are therefore of great importance. Both countries have populations of predominantly Celtic origin, and in the course of day-to-day and recreational activities their citizens are inevitably subjected to high levels of solar UV exposure. These two factors are considered to be predominantly responsible for the very high incidence of melanoma (and other forms of skin cancer) in the two nations. In Australia melanoma is the third most common cancer in men and the fourth most common in women, with over 13,000 new cases and over 1,750 deaths each year. [1]