Ten Years of Euromelanoma in Hungary: Nationwide Trends and Risk Factors for Skin Cancer in Central-Eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Large-scale, country-specific data on skin cancer predictors are scarce in Hungary. The Euromelanoma campaign offers a decade-long opportunity to investigate constitutional, behavioral, and motivational risk factors in a Central European setting through a national cross-sectional analysis.

METHODS

Between 2009 and 2018, Hungarian participants underwent dermatological screening. Diagnoses of clinically suspicious skin cancers were based on dermoscopic assessment, as histopathological confirmation was not systematically available. Among 18,598 standardized surveys, logistic regression identified independent predictors of clinically suspicious skin cancers overall and separately for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs).

RESULTS

Clinically suspicious skin cancers were detected in 3.9% of participants (1.7% melanoma, 2.3% NMSC). Strong predictors across all cancer types were atypical nevi (OR 4.75), personal history of NMSC (OR 3.42), and melanoma (OR 1.99). For melanoma, atypical nevi (OR 13.12), prior melanoma (OR 5.95), heavy sunbed use (OR 2.15), and trunk lentigines (OR 1.47) were significant. For NMSC, age (OR 1.08 per year), personal history of NMSC (OR 4.75), family history of melanoma (OR 2.41), and atypical nevi (OR 1.76) were dominant. Screening motivation influenced detection: participants attending for a changing lesion had higher odds of suspicious findings, whereas those attending for routine checks, family/friend history, or "many moles" had lower odds.

CONCLUSIONS

Over a decade of Euromelanoma screening, atypical nevi, prior skin cancer history, and heavy sunbed use emerged as the strongest predictors of suspicious skin cancers. Participant motivation shaped detection patterns, supporting risk-stratified screening, targeted public education, and stricter regulation of artificial ultraviolet exposure.