[Switzerland: a country with high skin cancer rate].

On an European scale, Swiss melanoma incidence and skin cancer mortality rates are exceedingly high, in contrast to the neighbouring countries. Incidence rates of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers are on the increase. From 1921 up to the present, melanoma death rates have been increasing; the excess of male over female mortality has developed since 1950 only. Since the mid-1970s, melanoma mortality under the age of 65 fluctuates without increasing. In the older age-groups increase continues, especially in older men, in whom the melanoma is often localized on the trunk. Compared to other European sources spinalioma and basaloma are rather frequent. Kaposi's sarcoma is rare but increasing. The annual number of new skin malignancies in Switzerland is estimated to be approximately 5000 for men and 4000 for women.