Ten-year audit of melanoma in a central England population

The incidence of melanoma in the North Staffordshire region has more than doubled over the last 10 years, and nearly tripled in the "thin" melanoma group (≤ 1 mm). A retrospective audit was performed to investigate the overall management of melanoma, with a focus on thin melanomas. A total of 507 patients was identified between 1999 and 2009. The incidence of melanoma is increasing in the older age groups (> 50 years), although the thin melanomas were diagnosed at a significantly younger age than the cohort as a whole (p < 0.001). The anatomical distribution was similar in both groups. More females were affected by thin melanomas (65%) compared with all melanomas (55%). This audit provides a unique insight into the incidence and characteristics of melanoma in a Central England population. The incidence of melanoma is increasing, but more so in the thin group. Thick (> 4 mm) and intermediate (1.01-4 mm) melanomas are increasing at a slower rate.