Abstract
BACKGROUND: New treatment options for cutaneous melanomas with a poor prognosis have been available since 2011, including immune therapies and targeted drugs. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that these treatments improve survival, but no population-level studies have been available to date.
METHODS: All patients in the database of the Center for Cancer Registry Data (Zentrum für Krebsregisterdaten) who had a diagnosis of melanoma (ICD10: C43) in the years 2000 to 2019 were included in the study. The relative five-year survival (5YRS) was calculated for four 5-year periods (2000-04, 2005-09, 2010-14, 2015-19). The data were standardized/stratified according to sex, age group, and UICC stage to correct for differences between regions and over time. Regression models were used to detect statistically significant secular trends.
RESULTS: 301 486 individuals were included in the study. The overall 5YRS rose from 93% (2000-04) to 95% (2015-19). The 5YRS in 2015-19 was similar to or greater than that in 2000-04 for all subgroups. The largest rises in 5YRS were between 2010-14 and 2015-19, and specifically in advanced stages: for UICC stage IV tumors, the 5YRS rose from 31% to 36%. There was a significant rising trend across the four time periods (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: The survival of melanoma patients has improved over the past 20 years. From 2010-14 to the most recent period, the largest changes were seen in advanced tumor stages. This favorable development coincided with the introduction of new therapies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Deutsches Arzteblatt International |
| Volume | 121 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 45-51 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 1866-0452 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 26.01.2024 |
Research Areas and Centers
- Research Area: Center for Population Medicine and Public Health (ZBV)
DFG Research Classification Scheme
- 2.22-01 Epidemiology, Medical Biometry/Statistics
- 2.22-14 Hematology, Oncology
