Skin cancer - survival statistics

This page presents malignant melanoma survival statistics including five year survival by tumour thickness and age and sex. Over the last thirty years, survival from malignant melanoma has continually improved as Figure 3.1-3 shows for England and Wales. 1-5

Skin cancer survival statistics:

 
 

Malignant melanoma - One, five and ten-year survival rates

Over the last thirty years, survival from malignant melanoma has continually improved as Figures 3.1-3.31-5 show for England and Wales.

The latest estimates of five-year relative survival for patients diagnosed in 2001-06 is 81% for men and 90% for women. Survival rates are even higher in Scotland, with a 5 year relative rate of 87% for men diagnosed in 2000-2004 and 93% for women.6 Rates are consistently higher for women than men.

melanoma survival 3.1

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melanoma survival 3.2

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melanoma survival 3.3

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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 3.4).7

melanoma survival 3.4

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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 3.32 for England and Wales.

melanoma survival 3.5

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Substantial differences in survival between deprivation groups have also been recorded: for male patients diagnosed in 1996-1999 in England and Wales, five-year survival was 7% higher in the most affluent compared to the least affluent groups.8

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References for skin cancer survival

  1.  Coleman, M., P. Babb, and P. Damiecki, Cancer Survival Trends in England and Wales, 1971-1995: Deprivation and NHS Region. Vol. 1999: TSO.
  2.  Rachet, B., et al., Population-based cancer survival trends in England and Wales up to 2007:an assessment of the NHS cancer plan for England. The Lancet Oncology (2009). Standardised figures were provided by the author on request.
  3.  Office for National Statistics (ONS), Survival Rates in England, patients diagnosed 2001-2006 followed up to 2007
  4.  Richard, MA., Trends and inequalities in survival for 20 cancers in England and Wales 1986-2001: population-based analyses and clinical commentaries. Foreword. Br Journal Cancer, 2008, Vol. 99, Supplement 1, September
  5.  Rachet, B., et al., Population-based cancer survival trends in England and Wales up to 2007:an assessment of the NHS cancer plan for England. The Lancet Oncology (2009).
  6.  Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD (online). Trends in Cancer Survival 1980-2004 Accessed 2009
  7.  MacKie, R.M., et al. Incidence of and survival from malignant melanoma in Scotland: an epidemiological study. Lancet, 2002. 360(9333): p. 587-91
  8.  Coleman, M.P., et al., Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival in England and Wales. Cancer, 2001. 91(1 Suppl): p. 208-16.