Skin cancer

Skin Cancer survival statistics

This page presents malignant melanoma survival statistics including five-year survival rates, survival by tumour thickness and age and sex.

Over the last twenty-five years, survival from malignant melanoma has continually improved as Figure 3.1 shows for England and Wales.1,2

Malignant melanoma - Five-year survival rates

The latest estimates of five-year relative survival for patients diagnosed in 2000-01 is 78% for men and 91% for women. Survival rates are even higher in Scotland, with a 5 year relative rate of 85% for men diagnosed in 1997-2001 and 94% for women.3 Rates are consistently higher for women than men.

Figure 3.1: Five-year age-standarised survival for patients aged 15-99 diagnosed with malignant melanoma, by sex, England and Wales, 1971-2001

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Malignant melanoma - Five-year survival rates by tumour thickness

The most powerful prognostic factor for melanoma patients is the thickness of the tumour with highest survival for the thinnest tumours (Figure 3.2).4

Figure 3.2: Five- year survival by tumour thickness, patients diagnosed 1979-1998, by sex, Scotland

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Malignant melanoma - Five-year survival rates by age and sex

Younger patients tend to have higher survival rates than older patients as shown in Figure 3.3 for England and Wales.

Figure 3.3:Five-year relative survival for patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma by age and sex, England and Wales, 1986-1990

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Substantial differences in survival between deprivation groups have also been recorded: for patients diagnosed in 1986-90 in England and Wales, five-year survival was 8% higher in the most affluent compared to the least affluent groups. 1

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References

  1. Coleman, M., P. Babb, and P. Damiecki, Cancer Survival Trends in England and Wales, 1971-1995: Deprivation and NHS Region. 1999: TSO.
  2. Coleman, M.P., et al. Trends and socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival in England and Wales up to 2001. Br J Cancer, 2004. 90(7): p. 1367-73
  3. ISD Online. Cancer Incidence and Mortality data. Accessed 2005
  4. MacKie, R.M., et al. Incidence of and survival from malignant melanoma in Scotland: an epidemiological study. Lancet, 2002. 360(9333): p. 587-91

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