Trends for in situ and Invasive Melanoma in Queensland, Australia, 1982–2002

Abstract

Age-standardised incidence is continuing to increase and this, in combination with a shift to proportionately more in situ lesions, suggests that the stabilisation of mortality rates is due, in large part, to earlier detection. For primary prevention, after a substantial period of sustained effort in Queensland, there is some suggestive, but not definitive, evidence that progress is being made. Incidence rates are stabilising in those younger than 35 years and the proportionate increase for both in situ and invasive lesions appears to be lower for the most recent period compared with previous periods. However, even taking the most favourable view of these trends, primary prevention is unlikely to lead to decreases in the overall incidence rate of melanoma for at least another 20 years. Consequently, the challenge for primary prevention programmes will be to maintain momentum over the long term. If this can be achieved, the eventual public-health benefits are likely to be substantial.

International trends in the incidence of malignant melanoma 1953–2008—are recent generations at higher or lower risk?

“…Whites and Canada), Israel and Norway (and perhaps very recently in France and Iceland) suggest a recent leveling off or slight decline in melanoma incidence rates, whereas the observed trends reach statistical significance only in Australia (at ages 25-44 years) and Iceland (among women, all ages). This finding, more readily apparent among young persons aged 25-44 years of age, is in accordance with earlier observations of stable incidence trends among young people in Australia (Queensland, 5,15 New South Wales 51 ), Canada, 52 the U.S. 13 and some Northern European countries 3 and may be associated with changing UV radiation exposure patterns following a growing awareness of skin cancer and its risk factors.…”

“…The incidence of melanoma has steadily increased over the last 50 years in most fair-skinned populations. [2][3][4][5][6] Such observations have been well documented in Europe 3,[7][8][9][10][11][12] (particularly in the Nordic countries), 2,3 North America, 13,14 Australia and New Zealand, 5,6 where incidence rates remain the highest reported worldwide. Nevertheless, several studies published during the last decade have reported rates in several of these populations as either stabilizing or declining, including a number of Northern and Western European countries, 3 the U.S., 13 Canada, 14 Australia 5,15 and New Zealand.…”

Melanoma incidence and mortality in Scotland 1979–2003

“…In this age group, incidence in Scotland is now greater in males than in females, a pattern not reported before in the UK. The general pattern worldwide is that in relatively low-incidence countries female exceeds male incidence, but in higher-incidence countries such as Australia, the incidence is either equal, or there is a male preponderance (Coory et al, 2006). Thus, Scotland appears to be moving toward the pattern of a high-incidence country.…”

“…Cutaneous melanoma is a cause of concern for those involved in cancer control in Europe (de Vries et al, 2003;Hemminki et al, 2003;de Vries and Coebergh, 2004), North America (Jemal et al, 2001;Swetter et al, 2005), and Australasia (Martin and Robinson, 2004;Baade and Coory, 2005;Coory et al, 2006). Data from all three continents show a continuing rise in incidence, although in some countries incidence figures may be stabilising in younger females.…”

Identification of candidate tumor suppressor genes inactivated by promoter methylation in melanoma

“…Queensland, Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, with 34,000 residents in a population of $4 million people being diagnosed with the disease in the last two decades (Coory et al, 2006). The 5-year survival rate for metastatic malignant melanoma is less than 5% as the tumors are largely refractory to existing therapies (Cummins et al, 2006).…”