Measuring the Burden of Skin Cancers in the United States: From 1990 to 2019
Posted: Tuesday, September 7, 2021
According to findings from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, incidences and cases of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma have increased in the United States in the past 3 decades, with melanoma having the rates of highest disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and mortality. Alan B. Fleischer Jr, MD, of the University of Cincinnati, and colleagues noted that among other findings in the 30-year review, the burden for skin cancer, according to DALY, has increased for melanoma and remained relatively stable for basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
“Health-care professionals can utilize the differences and trends among states noted in this study to guide the allocation of medical resources to reduce the incidence, morbidity, and mortality from skin cancer,” the investigators concluded.
In this study, the authors collected data from the University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which hosts the Global Bureau of Disease 2019 database. Age-standardized incidence, prevalence, DALY, and mortality rates per 100,000 persons for skin neoplasms in the United States from 1990 to 2019 were measured.
In the United States, melanoma increased for all areas measured, including incidence rate (17.0 per 100,000), prevalence rate (138), DALY rate (64.8), and mortality rate (2.2). Squamous cell carcinoma had an incidence rate of 262 per 100,000, a prevalence rate of 314, a DALY rate of 26.6, and a mortality rate of 0.8. Basal cell carcinoma rates for incidence, prevalence, DALY, and mortality were 525, 51.2, 0.2, and 0, respectively.
The incidence and prevalence rates of all three cancer types increased from 1990, whereas the mortality rates have remained consistent. The authors found that males had a higher incidence, prevalence, DALY, and mortality rates than females for all three cancer types in every year since 1990. The incidences and prevalence of melanoma were relatively higher in the northern part of the United States than in the southern part.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit jaad.org.
