Frequency of Trauma, Physical Stress, and Occupation in Acral Melanoma: Analysis of 313 Acral Melanoma Patients in Korea

BACKGROUND: Traumatic events are thought to be a cause of acral melanoma. However, little is known about the role of mechanical trauma or physical stress in the development of acral melanoma. OBJECTIVE: In our study, we evaluated the frequency of trauma, physical stress, and occupation in patients with acral melanoma and aimed to identify any pathological correlates of these factors. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 313 acral melanoma patients from Chonnam National University Hospital. We mapped melanoma-developed anatomical sites of acral areas and assessed patients' history of trauma, physical stress, and occupation. RESULTS: Among the 313 acral melanoma patients, many reported a traumatic event (84 of 313; 26.8%) or physical stress (91 of 313; 29.1%) before the melanoma developed. The most common anatomical sites in these patients were on the borders of the foot (136 of 313; 43.5%). Trauma was more commonly associated with the fingernails and toenails than other sites. The frequency of each type of physical stress depended on the site of the lesion. Farmer and fisherman were the most common occupations (130 of 313; 41.5%) of the acral melanoma patients. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that traumatic events, physical stress, and certain occupations are common in acral melanomas. Further studies are needed to establish whether these are risk factors for acral melanomas.