Analysis of the epidemiological and histopathological profile of cases of cutaneous melanoma in a reference hospital in the west of paraná

Introduction: Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is considered the most aggressive malignant neoplasm of the skin due to its high metastatic power and has been showing an increasing incidence, becoming a public health problem. Objective: To analyze the epidemiological and histopathological profile of patients diagnosed with CM, taking into account the primary location, Breslow thickness, Clark Levels, as well as demographic variables such as sex, age, skin color and profession. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive and cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach was carried out on 124 medical records of patients diagnosed with CM through histopathology, treated at a reference hospital in the city of Cascavel-PR, Brazil, from 2012 to 2018. Results: The profile of the patients was: male (60.5%), caucasian (96%), 57.4 years old, farmer (35.4%), with lesions predominantly on the trunk (40.32%), lower limbs (16.93%) and face and/or or scalp (16.12%). The Breslow index ≥ 4.01mm was expressed with the highest frequency (33.75%). As for Clark's levels, the highest incidence was observed at level IV (44.87%). Conclusion: We can hypothesize that most of the diagnoses in this study were performed late, taking into account the histological variables analyzed. Therefore, primary and secondary prevention measures should be widely discussed in order to diagnose CM early and prevent its worsening.