| Demographic Group: | All resident persons. |
| Numerator: | Deaths with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 code C43 (ICD-9 code 172) as the underlying cause of death among residents during a calendar year. |
| Denominator: | Midyear resident population for the same calendar year. |
| Measures of Frequency: | Annual number of deaths. Annual mortality rate — crude and age-adjusted (standardized by the direct method to the year 2000 standard U.S. population based on single years of age from the Census P25-1130 series estimates*) — with 95% confidence interval. |
| Time Period of Case Definition: | Calendar year. |
| Background: | During 2001, melanoma caused approximately 7,800 deaths, and 54,200 new cases are diagnosed annually. Approximately 80% of all skin cancer-associated deaths are caused by melanoma. The incidence of melanoma increased in the 1990s, although not as rapidly as in previous years. Melanoma is 15 times more common among whites than among blacks and has the highest case-fatality rate of all skin cancers. |
| Significance: | Sun exposure, especially intense, repeated, blistering sunburns during childhood, increase the risk of melanoma as an adult. Prevention of melanoma should include avoidance of sunburns. |
| Limitations of Indicator: | Because melanoma can have a long latency period, years might pass before changes in behavior or clinical practice affect population mortality. |
| Data Resources: | Death certificate data from vital statistics agencies (numerator) and population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census or suitable alternative (denominator).
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/Table.aspx?Group=TableGeo&Year=2001&Display=n |
| Limitations of Data Resources: | Causes of death and other variables listed on the death certificate might be inaccurate. |
| Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | 3-8: Reduce the rate of melanoma cancer deaths. |
