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Trends in cutaneous melanoma mortality in Italy from 1982 to 2016
Author(s) -
Briatico Giulia,
Mancuso Pamela,
Argenziano Giuseppe,
Longo Caterina,
Mangone Lucia,
Moscarella Elvira,
Brancaccio Gabriella,
Pampena Riccardo
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/ijd.16173
Subject(s) - medicine , melanoma , dermatology , medline , cancer research , law , political science
Background In Italy, comprehensive national studies, about mortality rates for cutaneous melanoma, are missing. The aim of this study was to analyze the trend of cutaneous melanoma mortality in Italy from 1982 to 2016. Methods Data on death certificates were obtained from Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT: Istituto nazionale di STATistica, Indagine sulle cause di morte). Mortality rates were age‐standardized on the European population 2013 and presented per 100,000 individuals. Age‐adjusted mortality rates (AMRs) were calculated by sex, age group, and geographic areas. To identify changes in mortality rate trends, a joinpoint regression model was used, and the annual percent change (APC) was estimated. Results In Italy, a total number of 49,312 patients (44.0% women) died for cutaneous melanoma from 1982 to 2016. Melanoma mortality rates significantly increased in the study period in both sexes, with higher AMR values and a steeper increase in men (from 2.71 to 4.02; APC: 1.43; 95% CI 1.26–1.61) than women (from 1.94–2.10; APC: 0.23; 95% CI 0.00–0.46). The largest difference between men and women was observed in patients aged ≥65 years with APC of 2.17 in men (95% CI 1.97–2.37) and 0.37 in women (95% CI 0.08–0.66). Conclusion In conclusion, the melanoma mortality rate in Italy progressively increased especially in elderly men. Several hypotheses might explain the observed age and geographic differences such as sun exposure habits or different strategies of prevention campaigns.