Exploration of Melanoma Incidence, Mortality Rates Urges Further Research

Source: AJMC, April 2024

A retrospective analysis out of Denmark could not find a causal relationship to explain trends in melanoma incidence and mortality rates, demonstrating the need for more research in this area.

As incidences of melanoma and performed biopsies have increased, mortality rates have remained relatively stagnant. While prior explanations often cite the role of varying diagnostic thresholds among pathologists, overdiagnoses, or advancements in melanoma treatment, a study recently published in British Journal of Dermatology suggests more research is needed to determine any causal relationships in these trends.

According to a global burden of disease study conducted in 2019, there was an average global increase of 1.13% in cases of cutaneous melanoma (95% CI, 0.93-1.32) each year between 1990 and 2019. During this period, rates of age-standardized mortality decreased by 0.27% (95% CI, 0.19-0.36).2 As the authors of the present study note, this trend is not fully understood. Analyzing behavioral patterns that lead to more sun exposure (tanning bed use, vacation destinations, etc.), changes in melanoma treatment interventions, and diagnostic approaches (reduced diagnostic thresholds, overdiagnoses, etc.) have not offered adequate explanations for this discrepancy.
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