title: [Incidence of melanoma and changes in stage-specific incidence after implementation of skin cancer screening in Schleswig-Holstein].
abstract: A pilot project in skin cancer screening (SCREEN) was conducted in Schleswig-Holstein from July 2003 to June 2004. Although the impact of this screening on the stage-specific incidence of melanoma is of great importance for screening evaluation, it remains unknown. In theory, an effective skin cancer screening program should result in a medium-term incidence decrease of melanomas with a prognostically unfavorable stage. This is studied on a population-based level by using cancer registry data. Based on data from the Cancer Registry of Schleswig-Holstein for 1999-2009, stage-specific (T-category of the TNM-classification system) age-standardized incidence rates were calculated. After implementation of the SCREEN project, the incidence of prognostically favorable melanomas (in situ and T1) was higher than before, while the incidence of advanced melanomas (T2, T3, and for women also T4) decreased considerably. The classification of tumor stages changed during the project period, which may have contributed to an artificial decrease of the stages with a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, the results are in agreement with the observed decrease of melanoma mortality in the screening region.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Krebsepidemiologie, Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Haus 50, 23562, Lübeck, Deutschland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eisemann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katalinic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult