This study aims to complete missing data for historical and current melanoma incident cases ? the data items selected are critical for the appropriate evaluation of cancer control efforts for melanoma, including assessment of melanoma etiology (and therefore, primary prevention efforts);targeting screening activities, and assessing the success/failure of screening over time (based on tumor thickness at diagnosis);and survival analyses, including those linked to the Los Angeles Residual Tumor Repository that assess the association between tumor biomarkers and melanoma prognosis, translated directly into the clinical setting. Melanoma is among the top 5 cancers in most white populations in the US, and is increasing in many non-white populations. Population-based cancer registries should have the information required to greatly enhance and guide all of these cancer control areas, but currently the quality and completeness of melanoma incident data are insufficient to properly address the melanoma burden for all three cancer control efforts noted above. This relatively straightforward study can be quickly and economically accomplished, and immediately add critical knowledge to cancer control efforts in melanoma, and benefits directly from the existence of SEER?s Discard Repositories for
