Study Results Demonstrate Population-Based Effects of SCS on Melanoma Mortality Minimal, Not Significant
Source: Pharmacy Times , December 2023
The study authors note that low skin cancer screening (SCS) participation, the participants’ better health than nonparticipants, and examination biases may be contributing factors to the insignificant results.
The number of melanoma diagnoses, which is 1 of the 5 most common cancers in Germany, has increased by nearly 5 times since 1970. Additionally, malignant melanomas account for approximately 10.3% of all new skin cancer diagnoses. In an attempt to reduce skin cancer-related mortality and morbidity, nationwide skin cancer screening (SCS) was introduced in in 2008; however, it is unclear how participation in screening is related to mortality, or if there is an association between them. A study published in JDDG evaluates the relationship between early-stage melanoma incidence found through SCS and mortality in subsequent years.
The study used data on melanoma incidence from 2005 to 2016 and mortality from 2005 to 2018 from 244 counties in Germany. Patients with incident melanoma from 2005 to 2016, except for cases based on a death certificate only, and all melanoma-related deaths from 2005 to 2018 were included in the analysis. Noninvasive (in situ) and stage T1 melanomas (? 1 mm tumor thickness) were defined as early stages.