Background: Increases in the incidence of malignant melanoma have been amon
g the largest of all cancers in the United States.
Objective: We report updated trends in melanoma rates among the US white po
pulation.
Methods: Incidence and mortality rates were calculated for 1973 to 1994. Tr
ends were examined with stratification by state, age, and sex, and by anato
mic site, stage, and melanoma thickness at diagnosis.
Results: Melanoma incidence and mortality rates increased dramatically from
1973 to 1994, rising 120.5% and 38.9%, respectively. In recent years, howe
ver, rates for most age-sex groups appeared to stabilize or even decline. M
ale patients continued to have higher incidence and mortality rates than fe
male patients, but for both male and female patients the largest increases
by site were for the trunk. A large proportion of melanomas were detected i
n the local stage and with a thickness less than 0.75 mm.
Conclusion: Prevention of sun exposure is recommended to reverse the high i
ncidence rates of melanoma.