Background: The incidence of cutaneous malignant tumors has recently markedly increased due to the increased longevity of life, along with the changes of social and environmental factors. However, few articles have reported on these changes, from a statistical aspect, of malignant skin tumors in Gwangju City and Chonnam Province. Objective: Our purpose was to clarify the recent trends and changes in the incidence and clinical patterns of cutaneous malignant tumors observed in Gwangju City and Chonnam Province and to compare them with the previously reported data. Methods: A total of 1,430 cases were pathologically diagnosed as cutaneous malignant tumor during a 20 year period between January 1987 and December 2006 at the Department of Dermatology in Chonnam National University Hospital. The tumor incidence and its changes, the age and gender distribution and the anatomical sites were investigated.