Faktenblatt: Epidemiologie des malignen Melanoms in Deutschland

Zusammenfassung

Dieses Faktenblatt bietet eine Übersicht über die Epidemiologie zum malignen Melanom in Deutschland, dabei wird für beide Geschlechter die Inzidenz und Mortalität sowie das 10-Jahres-Überleben für das maligne Melanom insgesamt und für einzelne histologische Subtypen dargestellt.

Abstract

This fact sheet provides an overview of the epidemiology of malignant melanoma in Germany. The incidence and mortality as well as the 10-year survival for malignant melanoma overall and for individual histological subtypes are presented.

In Germany the annual number of persons diagnosed with malignant melanoma is estimated at 21,226 (data from 2014) and in 2015 the disease was responsible for 3054 deaths. Malignant melanoma constitutes approximately 4.5% of all cancer cases in Germany. Between 2008 and 2014 age-standardized incidence rates significantly increased in Germany, most likely affected by the introduction of skin cancer screening in 2008. The mortality rate has increased slightly for men whereas among women it has remained stable. The median age at diagnosis is 64 years (men 67 years, women 60 years). Malignant melanoma most commonly occurs on the trunk (33%), followed by the upper (24%) and lower extremities (22%). In women, the trunk is affected less frequently compared to men (24% vs. 42%), whereas the lower extremities are affected more frequently (32% vs. 12%). Approximately 3/4 of all malignant melanomas with sufficient stage specifications are diagnosed at an early stage (UICC stage I). Since the introduction of skin cancer screening (in 2008) the incidence for early stage melanoma (including in situ melanoma) has significantly increased for both genders; however, the incidence rates of advanced stages have so far not declined. For melanoma with specified histologic codes, superficial spreading melanoma is the most prevalent subtype (66%), followed by nodular (16%) and lentigo maligna melanoma (12%). A comparison of incidence rates among selected western industrialized nations indicates relatively high rates for Norway and Denmark, while the lowest incidence rates are reported for Austria. Germany is among the mid-ranking countries. While the relative 10-year survival for stage IV melanoma is 19.4%, patients with early stage melanoma (UICC stage I) show no reduction of survival compared to the general population. For all stages combined the relative 10-year survival for superficial spreading melanoma is 99.2%, while it is markedly lower for nodular melanoma (67.8%).