by Elana Gotkine

From 1987 to 2016, there was a considerable increase in the incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) among the elderly in the United States, according to a study published online Oct. 28 in Cancer Screening and Prevention.

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Ruofei Du, Ph.D., from Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine in Xianyang, and colleagues examined CMM incidence trends in the elderly U.S. population from 1987 to 2016 using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The annual percent change was estimated, and trends in CMM incidence were analyzed.

The study included 56,997 elderly CMM patients from eight Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries; 64.4% were men. The researchers found that from 2012 to 2016, the age-adjusted CMM incidence rate was 0.99 per 1,000, which marked a 2.8-fold increase from 1987 to 1991. With age and birth cohort, there was an increase in incidence rates, peaking at 1.53 and 0.59 per 1,000 men and women aged 85 years or older, respectively, during 2012 to 2016. A continuous increase was also seen in birth cohort effects.

“CMM remains a significant health concern, especially among older adults, necessitating continued efforts in prevention, early diagnosis, and research into targeted interventions,” the authors write.

More information: Ruofei Du et al, Age-period-cohort Analysis of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma Incidence in the United States from 1987 to 2016, Cancer Screening and Prevention (2024). DOI: 10.14218/CSP.2024.00019

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