Cutaneous malignant melanoma in Alberta: 1967-1976

The records of 519 patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) were analyzed for the period 1967 to 1976 from the population-based cancer registry of the Province of Alberta in Canada. During this period, the incidence of CMM rose more rapidly in men (especially those older than age 50 years) than in women. Five-year survival rates were 59% and 74% for men and women, respectively. Women survived longer mainly because of a longer disease-free interval. Once the disease recurred, however, the mean time to death was similar for both men and women. Primary lesions were most frequent on the trunk, and head and neck in men, and on the lower limbs in women. The proportion of trunk lesions is increasing in both sexes, especially in persons younger than age 50 years. The lack of a consistent upward trend for lesions on the lower limbs in women was unexpected. The data predict a growing contribution of trunk lesions is young men to the increasing incidence and mortality of CMM in Alberta.