Melanoma – incidence

• Melanoma has a high incidence and prevalence. In 2019, there were 210 new cases diagnosed in ACT residents (51.0% in males and 49.0% in females). In 2019, the ACT age-standardised incidence rate was 49.1 cases per 100,000 people (53.4 for males and 46.0 for females), compared to 54.3 per 100,000 people for Australia in 2019 (65.8 for males and 44.2 for females).*^1,2
• Five-year relative survival for melanoma has not changed significantly over time, from 91.4% in the period 1988–1997 to 90.3% for the period 2008–2017. While there were no significant differences in survival for males and females, people aged 0–64 years had better survival (95%) than those aged 65 and over (84%). Despite the 90% 5-year relative survival, the disease remains a significant health problem for the ACT community. The treatment of advanced stage melanoma has recently improved dramatically and may further improve relative survival rates in years to come.^1-8

*The national 2019 cancer incidence data reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare are estimates based on previous years’ trends. By contrast, all ACT-specific incidence data reported here utilise actual ACT data.

References

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Cancer in Australia 2021. Canberra: AIHW; 2021 [cited 2022 Apr 6]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-in-australia-2021/data.

2. ACT Cancer Registry. Canberra: ACT Cancer Registry; 2022 (unpublished data).

3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Life Tables, States, Territories and Australia, 2015-2017. Canberra: ABS; 2019 [cited 2022 Apr 6]. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3302.0.55.001Main+Features12015-2017?OpenDocument=.

4. ABS. Life Tables, States, Territories and Australia, 2014-2016. Canberra: ABS; 2018 [cited 2022 Apr 6]. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3302.0.55.001Main+Features12014-2016?OpenDocument=.

5. ABS. Life Tables, States, Territories and Australia, 2013-2015. Canberra: ABS; 2017 [cited 2022 Apr 6]. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3302.0.55.001Main+Features12013-2015?OpenDocument=.

6. ABS. Life Tables, States, Territories and Australia, 2012-2014. Canberra: ABS; 2016 [cited 2022 Apr 6]. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3302.0.55.001Main+Features12012-2014?OpenDocument=.

7. ABS. Life Tables, States, Territories and Australia, 2011-2013. Canberra: ABS; 2015 [cited 2022 Apr 6]. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3302.0.55.001Main+Features12011-2013?OpenDocument=.

8. Cancer Council Australia Melanoma Guidelines Working Party. Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of melanoma. Sydney: Melanoma Institute Australia, 2020 [cited 2022 Apr 6]. Available from: https://wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines:Melanoma.

The authors wish to thank the Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages, the Coroners and the National Coronial Information System for enabling the cause of death unit record file data to be used for this publication.