Melanomas and stress patterns on the foot : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Most melanomas are associated with UV radiation exposure.1 However, melanomas can emerge on sun-shielded skin such as the plantar surfaces. The pathogenesis of these melanomas is largely unknown.2 One hypothesis is that repetitive mechanical stress contributes to their formation. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the location of plantar and subungual melanoma lesions to examine a possible correlation with pressure areas of the foot