Melanoma of the skin (ICD-9 172)

This category excludes juvenile melanoma and lentigo maligna. Because of problems in registration of non-melanoma skin cancer and difficulties in separating melanoma from other skin cancer in some areas, skin melanoma also had to be excluded from All sites.

Spatial patterns for males and females were most similar. The highest incidence rates were in Norway (males 114/10⁶, females 139/10⁶), followed by Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Within these countries, the incidence strongly increased southwards. The rates in most post-socialistic countries were below 30/10⁶ in both sexes.

In mortality a similar geographical pattern was seen, but the relative differences were substantially smaller. The mortality/incidence ratios in post-socialistic countries were typically 2-3 times higher than those in the other countries.

The relative differences between areas were large in all age categories.

Sunburns add to the risk of skin melanoma. The risk is highest among blond people with fair skin, such as most people in Norway and Sweden. Diagnostic activity plays a role in the mortality/incidence differences.

The mortality rate in males was higher than in females in most areas although the incidence rate was usually higher in females. This is due to subsite distribution: in males the majority of melanomas are in trunk whereas in females limbs are affected most.The survival is lowest among patients with melanoma in trunk.