Melanoma Surveillance in the United States

CDC produced a supplement, published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, focusing on melanoma surveillance, trends, and survival rates. Many of the studies used data from CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program, covering the largest percentage of the U.S. population ever studied.

More than 45,000 cases of melanoma occurred in 45 states and the District of Columbia each year between 2004 and 2006, according to the report. Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, causing about 8,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

Significant Findings

• Deaths caused by melanoma accounted for $3.5 billion in lost productivity each year.
• A person who died of melanoma between 2000 and 2006 died 20 years prematurely, compared to 17 years from other cancers.
• Melanoma rates were higher among white, Hispanic females aged 50 and younger, and Asian/Pacific Islander females aged 40 and younger, compared to their male counterparts. This study also found that Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Asians were diagnosed with melanoma at younger ages than whites and blacks.
• Melanoma incidence was higher among females than males, increased with age, and was higher in non-Hispanic whites than Hispanic whites, blacks, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Asians/Pacific Islanders.
• In 2005, 34% of adults had been sunburned in the past year, and in 2004, 69% of adolescents were sunburned during the previous summer.
• Doctors are required by law to report melanomas to central cancer registries, but many dermatologists reported being unaware of reporting requirements.

Podcasts

• Collecting Melanoma Data [4:46]
• The Economic Burden of Melanoma [5:04]
• Melanoma, Ultraviolet Radiation, and Socioeconomic Status [5:25]
• The Burden of Melanoma [1:00]

Articles in Supplement

• Plescia M, Protzel Berman P, White MC. Melanoma surveillance in the United States. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S1–S2.
• Koh HK, Geller AC. The public health future of melanoma control. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S3–S5.
• Watson M, Johnson CJ, Chen VW, Thomas CC, Weir HK, Sherman R, Cockburn M, Jackson-Thompson J, Saraiya M. Melanoma surveillance in the United States: Overview of methods. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S6–S16.
• Jemal A, Saraiya M, Patel P, Cherala SS, Barnholtz-Sloan J, Kim J, Wiggins CL, Wingo PA. Recent trends in cutaneous melanoma incidence and death rates in the United States, 1992–2006. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S17–S25.
• Wu X-C, Eide MJ, King J, Saraiya M, Huang Y, Wiggins C, Barnholtz-Sloan JS, Martin M, Cokkinides V, Miller J, Patel P, Ekwueme DU, Kim J. Racial and ethnic variations in incidence and survival of cutaneous melanoma in the United States, 1999–2006. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S26–S37.
• Weir HK, Marrett LD, Cokkinides V, Barnholtz-Sloan J, Patel P, Tai E, Jemal A, Li J, Kim J, Ekwueme DU. Melanoma in adolescents and young adults (ages 15–39 years): United States, 1999–2006. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S38–S49.
• Richards TB, Johnson CJ, Tatalovich Z, Cockburn M, Eide MJ, Henry KA, Lai S-M, Cherala SS, Huang Y, Ajani UA. Association between cutaneous melanoma incidence rates among white U.S. residents and county-level estimates of solar ultraviolet exposure. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S50–S57.
• Singh SD, Ajani UA, Johnson CJ, Roland KB, Eide MJ, Jemal A, Negoita S, Bayakly RA, Ekwueme DU. Association of cutaneous melanoma incidence with area-based socioeconomic indicators—United States, 2004–2006. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S58–S68.
• Balamurugan A, Rees JR, Kosary C, Rim SH, Li J, Stewart SL. Subsequent primary cancers among men and women with in situ and invasive melanoma of the skin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S69–S77.
• Pollack SA, Li J, Berkowitz Z, Weir HK, Wu X-C, Ajani UA, Ekwueme DU, Li C, Pollack BP. Melanoma survival in the United States, 1992 to 2005. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S78–S86.
• Geller AC, Swetter SM, Oliveria S, Dusza S, Halpern AC. Reducing mortality in individuals at high risk for advanced melanoma through education and screening. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S87–S94.
• Lai S-M, King JB, Garimella S, Keighley J, Lewis M. Effect of the staging schema on melanoma cancer reporting, 1999 to 2006. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S95–S103.
• Townsend JS, Pinkerton B, McKenna SA, Higgins SM, Tai E, Steele CB, Derrick SR, Brown C. Targeting children through school-based education and policy strategies: Comprehensive cancer control activities in melanoma prevention. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S104–S113.
• Buller DB, Cokkinides V, Hall HI, Hartman AM, Saraiya M, Miller E, Paddock L, Glanz K. Prevalence of sunburn, sun protection, and indoor tanning behaviors among Americans: Review from national surveys and case studies of 3 states. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S114–S123.
• Cartee TV, Kini SP, Chen SC. Melanoma reporting to central cancer registries by U.S. dermatologists: An analysis of the persistent knowledge and practice gap. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S124–S132.
• Ekwueme DU, Guy GP, Li C, Rim SH, Parelkar P, Chen SC. The health burden and economic costs of cutaneous melanoma mortality by race/ethnicity—United States, 2000 to 2006. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011;65(5 S1):S133–S143.