Has mortality from melanoma stopped rising in Australia? Analysis of trends between 1931 and 1994

Abstract

Objective: To describe recent trends in mortality from melanoma in Australia. Design: An analysis of trends in age standardised and age and sex specific mortalities by year of death and median year of birth (cohort). Setting: Australia. Subjects: All deaths from melanoma registered in Australia between 1931 and 1994. Results: Melanoma mortality rose steadily from 1931 to 1985. From 1959 the annual rate of increase was 6.3% in men and 2.9% in women, resulting in mortalities of 4.82 and 2.51 per 100000 person years in 1985 and 1989, respectively. Mortalities for both sexes seem to have plateaued from June 1985 onwards. In 1990-4 the rate rose by 3.7% in men to 5.00 per 100000 and in women it f..