Melanoma Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Clinical Phenotypes

Abstract

2.1 U.S. melanoma epidemiology Melanoma trends in the United States were examined using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, a National Cancer Institute program that collects cancer and survival data from approximately 26% of the U.S. population. The SEER data revealed an increase in age-adjusted incidence rates of melanoma, which more than doubled among females and nearly tripled among males between 1973 and 1997 (Jemal et al., 2001). After an additional 7 years of SEER data, it was found that among young adults (aged 15–39 years) there was an increase in melanoma incidence among young women, and the authors suggested a possible role of ultraviolet radiation exposure, as discussed in further detail below (Purdue et al., 2008). Melanoma incidence has increased at 3.1% per year, with increases in tumors of all subtypes and thicknesses, and non-significant increases in melanoma mortality (Linos et al., 2009). The median age of melanoma diagnosis is 60 years, with an age-adjusted incidence of 20.1 per 10,000 individuals, from 2003–2007 (SEER website, accessed 2011). There are differences in melanoma incidence and mortality dependent upon ethnicity. The SEER data shows the highest incidence among Caucasians (19.1 females and 29.7 males per 100,000), followed by Hispanics (4.7 females and 4.4 males per 100,000), American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Blacks (1.0 females and 1.1 males per 100,000)(SEER website, accessed 2011). Incidence data are depicted in Figure 1. Among U.S.