Invasive Melanoma Diagnoses Increased in Rural Regions
Invasive melanoma diagnoses are stabilizing in urban areas; however, they are increasing in rural regions, according to a poster presented at the 2023 AAD Annual Meeting.
Researchers aimed to characterize melanoma incidence trends in the United States by examining thickness-specific incidence rates of cutaneous melanoma in rural and urban populations.
Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 17 registries, researchers identified 273 827 histologically confirmed cases of first primary cutaneous melanoma diagnosed from 2010 to 2019. Annual age-adjusted incidence rates per 100 000 person-years and the annual percentage change (APC) by rural-urban residence and in situ or invasive disease were calculated, along with Breslow thickness of T1, T2, T3, or T4 for invasive cases.
The overall invasive melanoma incidence rate significantly increased in rural regions (APC=1.73%; 95% CI: 0.84%–2.63%), but remained stable in urban areas (APC=0.43%; 95% CI: -0.34%–1.20%) from 2010 to 2019. T1 melanoma incidence rates significantly increased among rural populations (APC=1.39%; 95% CI: 0.03%–2.76%) but remained stable in urban populations (APC=-0.42%; 95% CI: -1.93%–1.11%). T4 melanoma incidence rates significantly increased in urban populations (APC=3.11%; 95% CI: 1.98%–4.26%) and trended toward increasing among rural populations, although this was not statistically significant (APC=2.88%; 95% CI: -0.82%–6.72%).
These results may reflect improved access and screening due to teledermatology and a larger dermatologic workforce within historically underserved rural regions.
“Additional research is needed to better understand variations in melanoma burden across the United States and to identify targeted interventions to address disparities in melanoma outcomes among areas of different population densities,” concluded the poster authors.
Reference
Kim DY, Hartman RI. Rural-urban trends in thickness-specific incidence of cutaneous melanoma in the United States, 2010–2019. Poster presented at: AAD Annual Meeting; March 17–21, 2023; New Orleans, LA.
