title: The effect of metastatic site and decade of diagnosis on the individual burden of metastatic melanoma: contemporary estimates of average years of life lost.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metastatic melanoma (MM) is a leading cause of years of life lost due to malignancy. This study aimed to identify the average years of life lost (AYLL) in MM patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  MM patients were identified from a prospectively maintained database, and a linear model predicting AYLL was developed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1970 and 1999, 4,774 patients diagnosed with MM died. The AYLL was 23.2 years. AYLL remained stable across three decades.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AYLL for MM is greater than 20 years, and has not improved. This burden underscores the need for continued research and access to funding for this disease.
authors.affiliation: Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duke University Medical Center (DUMC), Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: April K S
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.forename: Nicole de
authors.initials: Nd
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Randall P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Scheri
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marcello
authors.forename: Scott K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Pruitt
authors.forename: Amy P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Abernethy
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis