title: Up-to-date results on survival of patients with melanoma in Germany.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prior analyses of survival of patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma from Germany were based only on small populations and need to be updated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We give a detailed overview of relative 5-year survival by sex, age group, histology, tumour stage and body site, and of time trends in a population of 33 million (40% of Germany), and compare survival in the federal states.
  
  
  METHODS
  Conventional and model-based period analysis using the Ederer II method was applied to patients with melanoma diagnosed during 1997-2006 in Germany to assess 5-year relative survival (RS) rates and time trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 37,155 melanoma cases were included. Overall age-adjusted 5-year RS for the time period 2002-2006 was 91·9% for women and 87·0% for men. Survival differences by age group, histology, tumour stage and body site were found. No significant overall trend (2002-2006) was seen either in women or in men. Differences in survival between federal states were small; no clear pattern was seen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the most recent and high-quality data from population-based cancer registries a comprehensive picture on melanoma survival in Germany was given. Survival from cutaneous malignant melanoma was high compared with other cancer sites and did not change during the analysed period 2002-2006. Patterns in melanoma survival by sex, age, tumour stage, histology and body site were in good agreement with previously published findings. No relevant differences between federal states were found.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. nora.eisemann@krebsregister-sh.de
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eisemann
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holleczek
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luttmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Emrich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hauschild
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katalinic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult