Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38610961›Full record

ArticleCancers2024

Evaluation of a Population-Based Targeted Screening Approach for Skin Cancer with Long-Time Follow-Up in Austria including Potential Effects on Melanoma Mortality.

Wolfgang Brozek, Patrick Clemens, Hanno Ulmer, Nina Häring, Hans Concin, Emanuel Zitt, Gabriele Nagel

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Precision medicine in cutaneous melanoma-A comprehensive review.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2026
    Review
  3. Skin cancer risk in hereditary mixed cancer syndromes.Hereditary cancer in clinical practice · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Wolfgang BrozekAgency for Preventive and Social Medicine, 6900 Bregenz, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-3626-9816
Patrick ClemensAgency for Preventive and Social Medicine, 6900 Bregenz, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-0984-2605
Hanno UlmerAgency for Preventive and Social Medicine, 6900 Bregenz, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-5911-1002
Nina HäringDepartment of Dermatology and Venerology, Feldkirch Academic Teaching Hospital, 6800 Feldkirch, Austria.
Hans ConcinAgency for Preventive and Social Medicine, 6900 Bregenz, Austria.
Emanuel ZittAgency for Preventive and Social Medicine, 6900 Bregenz, Austria.
Gabriele NagelAgency for Preventive and Social Medicine, 6900 Bregenz, Austria.
Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch · ATInnsbruck Medical University · ATUniversität Ulm · DE

Funding

state of Vorarlberg no grant number
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundwhether screening for skin cancer affects melanoma-specific mortality in a population-based setting remains unclear.

methodsin this population-based cohort study, we characterized and evaluated a skin cancer prevention program following a targeted screening approach conducted in 1989-1994 in the Austrian province Vorarlberg, with follow-up until 2019. The general population and attendees of a health examination program served for comparison.

resultsin the screening program including full follow-up until 2019, 207 invasive and 187 in situ melanomas were identified in 8997 individuals. Incidences of invasive and in situ melanomas were elevated compared to the general population (IRR 2.92, 95%-CI 2.49-3.41, and IRR 4.13, 95%-CI 3.53-4.83, respectively) and the health examination program (HR 3.02, 95%-CI 2.59-3.52, and HR 3.90, 95%-CI 3.30-4.61, respectively). Breslow thickness and Clark's level at time of invasive diagnosis were significantly lower in 1989-2019, but the tumor characteristics of the melanomas diagnosed during 1989-1994 did not differ from the comparison groups. Moreover, melanoma mortality was significantly elevated in the screening program (IRR 1.66, 95%-CI 1.00-2.75 vs. the general population, HR 2.12, 95%-CI 1.25-3.61 vs. the health examination cohort). Melanoma mortality in Vorarlberg declined until 2004, though statistically non-significantly.

conclusionsgiven the uncertain effectiveness and high public expenditures of population-wide mass screening programs, primary prevention and targeted risk-based skin cancer screening might be promising alternatives.

Indexed as

epidemiologymelanomamortalitypreventionscreeningskin cancertargeted screeningVHM&PPVorarlberg Health Monitoring and Promotion Program

Identifiers

PMID38610961
PMCPMC11011036
OpenAlexW4393200852

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.