Mortality from Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in Australia from 1971 to 2021

The number of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) removed from Australians is increasing every year. The number of deaths from NMSC is increasing but so is the population. However, the population has greatly changed with many dark-skinned people migrating to Australia. These people are at low risk for skin cancer even if they live all their lives in Australia. The susceptible population is the rest of the population. The death rate from NMSC for the entire population and susceptible populations since 1971 is examined in this article.

Data on the Australian population were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Every five years a census is held in Australia and detailed information of the population is provided. The ABS also provided yearly data on the causes of death in Australia.

The total population increased from 12,755,638 in 1971 to 25,738,140 in 2021. However, the susceptible population increased by far less, from 12,493,780 to 19,773,783. The number of deaths from NMSC increased from 143 to 765. The crude death rate for the susceptible population increased from 1.1 per 100,000 to 3.9 per 100,000. The crude death rate in the susceptible population aged 65 or more increased from 9.4 to 18.2 per 100,000.

Deaths from NMSC are increasing despite public health campaigns to prevent skin cancer. According to current trends, NMSC will cause more deaths than melanoma in Australia.