Multivariate analysis of spatial–temporal scales in melanoma prevalence

Melanoma is a particularly deadly form of skin cancer arising from diverse biological and physical origins, making the characterization and quantification of relationships with recognized risk factors very complex. Melanoma has known associations with ultraviolet light exposure. Natural variations in solar electromagnetic irradiation, length of exposure, and intensity operate on different and therefore uncorrelated time scale frequencies. It is necessary to separate and investigate the principal components, such as the annual and solar cycle components, free from confounding influences. Kolmogorov–Zurbenko spatial filters applied to melanoma prevalence and environmental factors affecting solar irradiation exposure are able to identify and separate the independent space and time scale components of melanoma. Multidimensional analysis in space and time produces significantly improved model fit of what is in effect a linear regression of maps, or motion picture, in different time scales between melanoma rates and prominent factors. The resulting multivariate model coefficients of influence for each unique spatial–temporal melanoma component help quantify the relationships and are valuable to future research and prevention.