Epidemiology of extracutaneous melanoma in the Netherlands.
BACKGROUND
Reliable population-based incidence and survival data on extracutaneous melanoma (ECM) are sparse.


METHODS
Incidence data (1989-2006) from the Netherlands Cancer Registry were combined with vital status on January 1, 2008. Age-adjusted annual incidence rates were calculated by direct standardization, and the estimated annual percentage change was estimated to detect changing trends in incidence. Additionally, we carried out cohort-based relative survival analysis.


RESULTS
Ocular melanomas were the most common ECM subsite with European standardized incidence rates (ESR) of 10.7 and 8.2 per 1,000,000 person-years for males and females, respectively. In comparison, for cutaneous melanoma (CM), the ESRs for men and women were 122 and 155 per million person-years, respectively. No statistically significant trends in the incidence of ECM were detected, whereas an annual increase of 4.4% for men and 3.6% for women was detected in the incidence of CM. Relative survival for ECM was poor, but differed largely between anatomic subtypes ranging from a 5-year relative survival of 74% for ocular melanomas to 15% for certain subsites of mucosal melanomas.


CONCLUSIONS
Of all ECM subsites, ocular melanomas had the highest incidence and the best survival. Mucosal melanomas were the second most frequent subsite of ECM. Five-year relative survival for all ECM subtypes was worse if compared with CM. No statistically significant trends in the incidence of (subsites of) ECM were determined.


CONCLUSIONS
This study gives insight into the relative sizes of the different subgroups of ECM as well as an estimate of 5-year survival, which varies substantially by subsite.
Koomen
Els R
ER
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
de Vries
Esther
E
van Kempen
Leon C
LC
van Akkooi
Alexander C J
AC
Guchelaar
Henk Jan
HJ
Louwman
Marieke W J
MW
Nijsten
Tamar
T
Coebergh
Jan-Willem W
JW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis