title: Malignant melanoma in Scotland 1979-1983.
abstract: 1318 cases of primary malignant melanoma of the skin first presenting in Scotland in the years 1979-83 and registered with the Scottish Melanoma Group are described. The annual age-adjusted incidence rate is 4.75 per 100 000 for females and 2.77 per 100 000 for males. Incidence rose by an annual average of 2.5% over the five-year period. The female: male ratio was 2:1, and 48.5% of all cases were of the superficial spreading histogenetic variety. Five-year survival rates for the patients registered in 1979 confirm the prognostic value of the tumour-thickness (Breslow) measurement. They were 93% for patients with tumours less than 1.5 mm thick (39% of patients), 67% for those with tumours 1.5-3.49 mm thick (30%), and 37% for those with tumours thicker than 3.5 mm (31%). This study shows that methods for early recognition of thin tumours should be encouraged.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: MacKie
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Soutar
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Calman
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McLaren
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: MacGillivray
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McPhie
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rankin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012606:Scotland; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology