TY - JOUR

T1 - Incidence of In Situ and Invasive Melanoma in Denmark From 1985 Through 2012

T2 - A National Database Study of 24,059 Melanoma Cases

AU - Helvind, Neel Maria

AU - Hölmich, Lisbet Rosenkrantz

AU - Smith, Sigrun

AU - Glud, Martin

AU - Andersen, Klaus Kaae

AU - Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg

AU - Drzewiecki, Krzysztof Tadeusz

PY - 2015/10

Y1 - 2015/10

N2 - IMPORTANCE: In Denmark, the incidence of malignant melanoma (MM) has doubled during the past 25 years, with an incidence of 29.5 and 31.7 per 100,000 person-years in 2012 for men and women, respectively. Understanding the nature of this increase in incidence is important to optimize prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of in situ and invasive melanoma in Denmark.OBJECTIVE: To describe changes over time in the incidence and clinical and pathologic characteristics of in situ and invasive melanoma in Denmark from 1985 through 2012.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We used the official national Danish Melanoma Group database to describe all eligible, prospectively registered cases of in situ and invasive melanoma in Denmark from January 1, 1985, through December 31, 2012. Data analyses were performed from April 1, 2012, through January 31, 2013.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for men and women in European age-standardized incidence, age at diagnosis, and tumor region for in situ melanoma and MM. For MM only, melanoma type, Breslow thickness, ulceration, and mortality.RESULTS: We included 3299 cases of in situ melanoma and 20,760 cases of MM. The incidence (95% CI) of MM increased by 4.5% (3.6%-5.3%) for men and 4.3% (3.5%-5.2%) for women, which was especially pronounced in patients older than 60 years (EAPCs, 5.8% [4.7%-6.8%] and 4.8% [3.8%-5.9%], respectively), in thin (Breslow thickness, <0.75 mm) melanoma (EAPCs, 6.6% [5.0%-8.2%] and 6.1% [6.0%-7.1%], respectively), and in superficially spreading MM (EAPCs, 5.2% [4.3%-6.2%] and 4.7% [3.9%-5.7%], respectively). We found no significant EAPC in the incidence of melanomas with Breslow thickness greater than 2.00 mm in women, and relative ulceration rates (95% CI) declined in both sexes (EAPCs, -3.3% [-4.0% to -2.6%] in men and -3.4% [-4.0% to -2.8%] in women). More proximal tumor location occurred over time (P < .001). Incidence of in situ melanoma (95% CI) greatly increased (EAPCs, 14.0% [12.2%-15.8%] in men and 11.6% [10.2%-13.2%] in women) with changes over time in age and region (defined by codes in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) similar to those for MM. Mortality related to MM increased in men (EAPC, 0.6% [0.1% to 1.2%]), whereas mortality in women (EAPC, -0.4% [-1.0% to 0.3%]) remained stable.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study confirms a worldwide increase in melanoma incidence. Results may indicate the importance of secondary melanoma prevention in Denmark. Future efforts could intensify primary prevention aimed at young adults, adolescents, and children and maintain and target secondary prevention at the population older than 60 years.

AB - IMPORTANCE: In Denmark, the incidence of malignant melanoma (MM) has doubled during the past 25 years, with an incidence of 29.5 and 31.7 per 100,000 person-years in 2012 for men and women, respectively. Understanding the nature of this increase in incidence is important to optimize prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of in situ and invasive melanoma in Denmark.OBJECTIVE: To describe changes over time in the incidence and clinical and pathologic characteristics of in situ and invasive melanoma in Denmark from 1985 through 2012.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We used the official national Danish Melanoma Group database to describe all eligible, prospectively registered cases of in situ and invasive melanoma in Denmark from January 1, 1985, through December 31, 2012. Data analyses were performed from April 1, 2012, through January 31, 2013.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for men and women in European age-standardized incidence, age at diagnosis, and tumor region for in situ melanoma and MM. For MM only, melanoma type, Breslow thickness, ulceration, and mortality.RESULTS: We included 3299 cases of in situ melanoma and 20,760 cases of MM. The incidence (95% CI) of MM increased by 4.5% (3.6%-5.3%) for men and 4.3% (3.5%-5.2%) for women, which was especially pronounced in patients older than 60 years (EAPCs, 5.8% [4.7%-6.8%] and 4.8% [3.8%-5.9%], respectively), in thin (Breslow thickness, <0.75 mm) melanoma (EAPCs, 6.6% [5.0%-8.2%] and 6.1% [6.0%-7.1%], respectively), and in superficially spreading MM (EAPCs, 5.2% [4.3%-6.2%] and 4.7% [3.9%-5.7%], respectively). We found no significant EAPC in the incidence of melanomas with Breslow thickness greater than 2.00 mm in women, and relative ulceration rates (95% CI) declined in both sexes (EAPCs, -3.3% [-4.0% to -2.6%] in men and -3.4% [-4.0% to -2.8%] in women). More proximal tumor location occurred over time (P < .001). Incidence of in situ melanoma (95% CI) greatly increased (EAPCs, 14.0% [12.2%-15.8%] in men and 11.6% [10.2%-13.2%] in women) with changes over time in age and region (defined by codes in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) similar to those for MM. Mortality related to MM increased in men (EAPC, 0.6% [0.1% to 1.2%]), whereas mortality in women (EAPC, -0.4% [-1.0% to 0.3%]) remained stable.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study confirms a worldwide increase in melanoma incidence. Results may indicate the importance of secondary melanoma prevention in Denmark. Future efforts could intensify primary prevention aimed at young adults, adolescents, and children and maintain and target secondary prevention at the population older than 60 years.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Age Distribution

KW - Carcinoma in Situ

KW - Databases, Factual

KW - Denmark

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Incidence

KW - Male

KW - Melanoma

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Neoplasm Invasiveness

KW - Sex Distribution

KW - Skin Neoplasms

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.1481

DO - 10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.1481

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26061591

VL - 151

SP - 1087

EP - 1095

JO - JAMA Dermatology

JF - JAMA Dermatology

SN - 2168-6068

IS - 10

ER -