How common is it?

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. One in two Australians will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime. Each year about 3,000 people in NSW are diagnosed with melanoma.

Melanoma is more common in people with fair complexions as they have less skin pigment to protect them against UV radiation from the run than people with darker skin.

Melamona is diagnosed most often in older adults, but it also occurs in younger adults and occasionally in teenagers.  It is rarely seen in children.

People with a lot of moles have a higher risk of melanoma. Adults with more than 10 on the arms and more than 200 on the body should have their moles checked regularly by their GP.

Melanoma in men is more common on the back, while women get more melamonas on their legs.

Anyone can develop skin cancer, but the risk is increased for people who have:

• Fair Celtic skin types – that burns easily, freckles and doesn’t tan easily
• Red or fair hair and blue or green eyes
• A history of repeated episodes of sunburn and blistering, especially in childhood and adolescence
• Other close family members having melanoma
• Certain types of naevi (moles)

Note: people with dark or olive skin have more protection against skin cancer because they produce more melanin than fair skinned people, however, because UV radiation is so strong in Australia dark and olive skinned people still need to protect their skin.

Incidence, Age and Gender
Melanoma is the most common cancer in males aged 25 to 54 and in females aged 15 to 29 years. It is the second most common cancer in women 30 to 54 years of age. While in the overall Australian population melanoma ranks as the third most common cancer. As with many other cancers, it is now recognised that patients treated in a specialised multidisciplinary oncology centre achieve better outcomes.

In NSW in 2001 there were 2,959 new cases of melanoma of the skin (1,727 male, 1,232 female). This was 10.7% of all cancers in males and 9% in females. Of the 421 deaths from melanoma of the skin, 271 were in males (3.9% of all male cancer deaths) and 150 in females (2.8% of female cancer deaths). Melanoma of the skin ranked third in males and females for incidence and its mortality ranked tenth and eleventh respectively. The Sydney Melanoma Unit treats approximately one third of the melanoma patients in New South Wales.

Melanoma is rare in children however it does occur and may have the same malignant potential as in adults.