Melanoma is a major Australian health problem. NSW figures for 2002 show it to be the second most common cancer in men and women with over 3,000 cases per year and overall lifetime risk of 3.7% (2002 data).

Melanoma has a disproportionately heavy impact on productive years of the life of young Australians because it is the commonest cancer in those aged 15-45 years. Since the mid 1960s melanoma incidence has increased by 3-8% per year in most peoples of European background (Thompson et al., 2005).

World-wide, five-year survival has steadily improved over recent decades, and is now greater than 85%, but melanoma takes a disproportionate toll on those of young and middle age, such that an average of 18.6 years of potential life is lost for each melanoma death in the USA, one of the highest rates for adult-onset cancers (Thompson et al., 2005).

The most significant advances in melanoma control have been made as a result of understanding risk factors for the disease, both environmental and individual, and utilising this knowledge in public health campaigns to reduce sun exposure. Large changes in attitude and behaviour towards sun protection in Australia in recent decades have been attributed to the success of widespread public education programs (Marks, 1999), and the documented reduction in the rate of rise of melanoma incidence in Australian and US birth cohorts since the 1960s suggests that primary prevention strategies may be effective (Beddingfield, 2003). Despite the success of these measures, melanoma remains epidemic.

References:

Beddingfield FC. The melanoma epidemic: res ipsa loquitur. Oncologist 2003; 8:459-465

Marks R. Two decades of the public health approach to skin cancer control in Australia: why, how and where are we now? Australas J Dermatol 1999; 40:1-5

Thompson JF., Scolyer RA. and Kefford RF. 2005. Cutaneous Melanoma. Lancet 2005; 365: 687-701.