Acral lentiginous melanoma is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Acral lentiginous melanoma, or a subtype of Acral lentiginous melanoma, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
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Several factors seem to influence the development of melanoma:
❑Excessive exposure to sunlight — Melanoma is most common in sunny, warm areas and usually develops on parts of the body that are exposed to the sun.
❑ Skin type — Most persons who develop melanoma have blond or red hair, fair skin, and blue eyes; are prone to sunburn; and are of Celtic or Scandinavian ancestry. Melanoma is rare among Blacks; when it does develop, it usually arises in lightly pigmented areas (the palms, plantar surface of the feet, or mucous membranes).
❑ Hormonal factors — Pregnancy may increase risk and exacerbate growth.
❑ Family history — Melanoma is slightly more common within families.
❑ Past history of melanoma — A person who has had one melanoma is at greater risk of developing a second.
Melanoma is slightly more common in women than in men and is rare in children. Peak incidence occurs between ages 50 and 70, although the incidence in younger age-groups is increasing.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The term 'prevalence' of Acral lentiginous melanoma usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Acral lentiginous melanoma at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Acral lentiginous melanoma refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Acral lentiginous melanoma diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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