Incidence of Skin Cancer

Australia
· The melanoma incidence rates in Australia and New Zealand are around four times higher than those found in Canada, the UK and the US. However, mortality rates for melanoma in Australia are quite low compared to other countries.
· Every year over 8,000 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma, 380,000 are treated for it and more than 1,500 Australians die from melanoma. (2004)
· Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, melanoma is the most common cancer in males aged 25 - 54 and in females aged 15 - 29 years. It is the second most common cancer in women 30 - 54 years of age and in the overall population of Australia, melanoma now ranks as the third most common cancer.
· In 2004, 261 Victorians died from melanoma
· Relative five-year survival rates for all melanoma are 90% for Australian males and 95% for Australian women
· Queensland had the highest incidence in both males (576.1 per 100,000 population in (1997–2001) and females (418.7 per 100,000 population), while the Northern Territory reported the lowest incidence with 489.6 cases per 100,000 for males and 365.2 per 100,000 for females because of lower incidence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
· Melanoma risk is generally highest in the northern areas and lower in the more southerly areas, showing a correlation to exposure to ultraviolet radiation

· Cases of Melanoma in 2001
· Males: melanoma (5,024)
· Females: melanoma (3,861)
· Persons: melanoma(8,885)

· Deaths from Melanoma in 2001
· Males: melanoma (684)
· Females: melanoma (390)
· Persons: melanoma (1,074)

· Estimated risk of melanoma 2001
· Males: 1 in 25
· Females: 1 in 34
· Persons: 1 in 29

% Distribution of malignant melanoma on body parts
Males: Head and neck 22%, Trunk 38%, Arm 17%, Leg 15%, not specified 8%
Females: Head and neck 14%, Trunk 17%, Arm 21%, Leg 42%, not specified 7%

The World
Age-standardised incidence rates* per 100,000 population for malignant melanoma, 1998-2002 by race and sex, USA
__________________Males___________Females
All races ____________21.8____________ 14.0
White ______________25.9 ____________17.2
Hispanic _____________4.5 _____________4.4
Asian/Pacific Islander ___18.0_____________1.6
Black________________1.3_____________0.8


<http://www.cancer.org.au/content.cfm?randid=101127>
<http://www.melanomafoundation.com.au/MACb.html>
<http://www.sunsmart.com.au/browse.asp?ContainerID=1752>
<http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/can/ca01/ca01.pdf>
<http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/m/melanoma/stats-country.htm>
<http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/melanoma/incidence/>