Background
Public awareness campaigns could address risk factors for melanoma to reinforce their sun protection message. The objective of this study is to prioritise risk factors associated with malignant melanoma (MM) to improve public awareness.

Methods
Design: A cross-sectional study with retrospective data analysis from 2004 to 2010.

Setting: Western Australian Melanoma Advisory Service (WAMAS), a tertiary referral multidisciplinary organisation providing MM management advice. WAMAS data files were analysed with histologically confirmed cutaneous MM. Forty-seven patients had two or more melanomas, but the patient file was counted only once. Six MM data files with missing or incomplete information were excluded. Main outcome measures: The number of naevi, blood relatives with MM, and previous sunburns were the primary variables collected.

Results
The results showed that 70.9 per cent (268/378) had previous sunburn; 40.2 per cent (152/378) had multiple naevi; and 22.5 per cent (85/378) had a positive family history. In the 110 MM data files not associated with sunburn, multiple naevi and a positive family history represented 34.5 per cent (38/110) and 20.0 per cent (22/110), respectively.

Conclusions
The results confirm the findings of previous studies that multiple naevi and a positive family history are important risk factors associated with MM. We suggest that MM can be detected earlier and its mortality decreased by focusing on these high-risk groups who are not targeted by current public awareness campaigns.