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CDC: Melanoma rates doubled in 30 years
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Melanoma rates in the United States doubled between 1982 and 2011, according to the CDC’s Vital Signs report.
During that period, incidence increased from 11.2 per 100,000 to 22.7 per 100,000, according to a CDC analysis of data from its National Program of Cancer Registries and the NCI’s SEER program.
More than 65,000 Americans were diagnosed with melanoma skin cancers in 2011.
Without additional prevention efforts, melanoma incidence will continue to increase over the next 15 years, peaking at 112,000 new cases in 2030, the agency reported. By then, the annual cost of treatment for new melanoma cases likely will reach $1.6 billion, or nearly three times the $457 million it cost in 2011.
However, there is some good news: About 230,000 melanoma diagnoses — or 20% of all new cases — projected to occur between 2020 and 2030 could be prevented through comprehensive skin cancer prevention programs, according to the CDC.
These efforts — which include education, mass media campaigns, and policy changes intended to ensure children and adults protect their skin from ultraviolet radiation exposure — also could save an estimated $2.7 billion worth of treatments, according to CDC projections.
“The rate of people getting melanoma continues to increase every year compared to the rates of other cancers, which are declining,” Lisa Richardson, MD, MPH, director of the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, said in the release. “If we can take action now, we can prevent hundreds of thousands of new cases of skin cancers, including melanoma, and save billions of dollars in medical costs.”
The CDC report calculated 65,647 invasive melanomas diagnosed in the United States in 2011. Incidence increased with age, and rates were highest among non-Hispanic whites.
Among younger age groups, women had higher melanoma incidence per 100,000 people than men: 1.3 vs. 0.8 among those aged 15 to 19 years; 4.9 vs. 1.8 among those aged 20 to 24 years; 8.7 vs. 4.1 among those aged 25 to 29 years; 11.5 vs. 6.8 among those aged 30 to 34 years; 13.8 vs. 9.3 among those aged 35 to 39 years; 17.7 vs. 13.1 among those aged 40 to 44 years; and 21.9 vs. 19.6 among those aged 45 to 49 years.
In older age groups, men had higher incidence rates than women: 29.7 vs. 24.7 among those aged 50 to 54 years; 40.6 vs. 26.9 among those aged 55 to 59 years; 58.4 vs. 30.5 among those aged 60 to 64 years; 81 vs. 36.8 among those aged 65 to 69 years; 105 vs. 41 among those aged 70 to 74 years; 130.3 vs. 47.5 among those aged 75 to 79 years; 159.5 vs. 55.6 among those aged 80 to 84 years; and 164.4 vs. 50.9 among those aged 85 years or older.
“Higher rates among young females compared with young males might be attributable, in part, to the widespread use of indoor tanning among females, which is associated with an increased risk for melanoma,” the researchers wrote. “Meanwhile, higher melanoma rates among older non-Hispanic white men may be attributable, in part, to lower rates of sun protection and more time spent outdoors throughout life compared with women. Additionally, men are less likely to use sunscreen compared to women.” – by Bruce Thiel
Reference:
Guy GP Jr, et al. MMWR. 2015;64:591-596.