Study Finds Global Socioeconomic Disparities in Melanoma Outcomes
By: Julia Cipriano, MS, CMPP
Posted: Friday, September 11, 2026
In a global ecologic study published in JCO Global Oncology, melanoma incidence and mortality were found to increase with higher levels of socioeconomic development, while the mortality-to-incidence ratio decreased. This pattern was suggestive of improved cancer detection, awareness, and survival in more developed settings, according to Roberto Paz-Manrique, MD, of Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru, and colleagues.
“These findings highlight persistent global inequalities in melanoma outcomes and support the use of [mortality-to-incidence ratio] as a practical indicator of cancer care performance,” the investigators commented.
The final analysis included 165 countries with complete data on melanoma incidence, mortality, and socioeconomic indicators, such as Human Development Index (HDI), education indicators, life expectancy, and gross national income. Age-standardized rates were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2022 global cancer database, while socioeconomic data were sourced from the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme.
The investigators observed significant differences in melanoma incidence and mortality across all socioeconomic indicators (analysis of variance [ANOVA] P < .001). Positive correlations were reported between incidence and mean years of schooling (P = 0.615), HDI (P = 0.595), expected years of schooling (P = 0.577), gross national income (P = 0.532), and life expectancy at birth (P = 0.500). Mortality rates also demonstrated positive correlations with these variables, but the strength of the associations was lower (P range = 0.399–0.548).
Conversely, mortality-to-incidence ratio showed inverse correlations with all socioeconomic indicators, particularly gross national income (P = −0.624) and HDI (P = −0.612). Mortality-to-incidence ratio values were found to significantly differ across socioeconomic quartiles (ANOVA P < .001).
“The study emphasizes the urgent need for equitable access to early detection, specialized care, and modern melanoma therapies worldwide,” the investigators concluded.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit ascopubs.org.
