Changing trends in numbers of deaths from malignant melanoma in Japan, 1955-2000

The incidence and number of deaths from cutaneous malignant melanoma have been reported to increase in many countries. However, those in Japan have not been analyzed yet.

To analyze the changing trends in the number of deaths from melanoma in Japan.

We analyzed the annual trends in numbers of deaths from melanoma from 1955 to 2000 in Japan on the basis of the data from the Vital Statistics of Japan, Statistics and Information Department, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

The general trends in numbers of deaths from melanoma were upward. The annual increased ratio of deaths from melanoma was 6.3% (95% confidence interval: 4.6-8.1%). There was no gender difference in the annual increase in mortality (p < 0.05). The general trends in age-standardized death rates were also upward, although the death rates slowed between 1977 and 2000. The number and proportion of deaths among the elderly were increasing. The peak age group of deaths was roughly the fifties in 1955-1960, the sixties in 1961-1977 and the seventies after 1978. More than 50% of deaths occurred at or after 60 years of age after 1975 in both sexes, increasing to over 70% in 2000.

Elderly individuals should be a focus of health promotion activities.