Melanoma Rates in the UK - an update

Melanoma (MM) is a frequent worry for patients and clinicians alike and we have seen reports of dramatic rise in cases over the decades globally and in the UK:

·         Since the nineties cases have increased by 140%.

·         In the last decade, melanoma rates have increased by a third.

·         Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in women in the UK – around 8400 per year.

·         Melanoma is the sixth most common in men in the UK – around 8400 per year.

(MelanomaUK)

The statistics for melanoma make grim reading and highlights how as healthcare professionals we should remain vigilant. Its not all bad news though, a recent study published in the British Journal of Dermatology has some better news, which I will summarise in this blog.

Incidence rates of melanoma are increasing but slowing

Changes in melanoma rates (2001 - 2020)

A recent paper in the BJD caught my eye as it reports potential changes in melanoma incidence and mortality in England between 2001 – 2020 [1]. The work also includes melanoma in situ (MIS) which I have covered MIS in an earlier blog. Essentially, MIS is a melanoma which has yet to become invasive (read more here).

The 2025 study looked at the data held by the English National Disease Registration Service for melanoma (MM) and MIS for a period of 19 years. In that period there were 86 792 new cases of MIS and 220 286 cases of MM, both showed a roughly equal gender split (49% M / 51% F).  Interestingly, temporal data showed that MM and MIS were more common in women up to the age of 64, and then male cases become more prevalent with age.

Reviewing the data by age group there was some positive news - melanoma rates have slowed down and are reducing for younger people (up to 24 years old). For people 60–74 years MM rates started decreasing in the early 2010s for people. However, they are still increasing in people over 75 years of age.

Mortality from melanoma

During the study period 35 377 deaths from MM were recorded (of which 43% were in females). Over time the mortality rates climbed from 2001 to 2014 by around an annual rate of 1.8%  a year but declined by 2.7% a year to 2019. The number of deaths from melanoma have been decreasing in people under 60 years of age.

What does this research tell us?

This was the largest study of its kind in the UK and it’s important to look for any trends within the data. Firstly, whilst MIS cases are still rising but more slowly, MM rates have plateaued since 2014 (as reported in earlier studies, but this decline has been evident since the 2000s for those under 24 as seen in the US and Australia). The reasons for this aren’t clear but it may be explained in part because of the change in the UK ethnicity or perhaps because of less time spent outdoors. Alternatively, sun awareness is increasing and the messaging from campaigns is slowly taking effect, but this may be too early for have any significant impact.

In terms of mortality, for younger people with MM, mortality rates are improving – this could be due to improvements with immunotherapy drugs which have been introduced during this period. Moreover, earlier diagnosis through awareness may be spotting the disease sooner. However, early lesions (which may not be a threat to life) may be over diagnosed as MM [2].

The takeaway point from this UK data is that for patients over 75s, particularly in men, incidence and mortality from MM continues to rise (as seen in some European studies [3]). Older patients are less likely to receive immunotherapies due to comorbidities and frailty. However, this work reinforces the idea of earlier diagnosis as the key to improved survival, as demonstrated in the data. Consequently, a quick check of the legs and feet, particularly for our older patients should continue to be part of our clinical routine.

References

1.            Karponis D, van Bodegraven B, Mistry K, Nikolaou V, Stratigos AJ, Levell NJ, Venables ZC: Incidence and mortality of melanoma in situ and malignant melanoma in England between 2001 and 2020. Br J Dermatol 2025, 193:687–695.

2.            Sheerin J, Collgros H, Chamberlain A, Ferguson P, Gouveia BM, Guitera P, Mar V, Whiteman DC, Caccetta T: A Clinical Perspective on Melanoma Overdiagnosis. Australas J Dermatol 2025, Early View

3.            Sendín-Martín M, Bueno-Molina RC, Hernández-Rodríguez J-C, Cayuela L, Cayuela A, Pereyra-Rodríguez J-J: Trends in cutaneous malignant melanoma mortality in Europe from 1992 to 2021. Clin Exp Dermatol 2025, 50:1803–1811.