Differing trends in thickness and survival between nodular and non-nodular primary cutaneous melanoma in Victoria, Australia

Smithson, Sarah L; Pan, Yan; Mar, Victoria

doi:10.5694/mja15.00148

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To the Editor: Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, with more than 12 500 new cases diagnosed each year.1 Despite advancing techniques in diagnosis and management, mortality remains high, with around 1500 deaths each year.1

Victorian Melanoma Service, Melbourne, VIC.

Correspondence:

Acknowledgements:

Details of additional authors of this letter are available in the Appendix. We acknowledge the contribution of data collected by the Victorian Cancer Registry, without which this project would not have been possible.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australasian Association of Cancer Registries. Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2012. Canberra: AIHW, 2012. (Cancer Series No. 74; Cat. No. CAN 70.)
2. Mar V, Roberts H, Wolfe R, et al. Nodular melanoma: a distinct clinical entity and the largest contributor to melanoma deaths in Victoria, Australia. J Am Acad Dermatol 2013; 68: 568-575.
3. Clark WH Jr, From L, Bernardino EA, et al. The histogenesis and biologic behavior of primary human malignant melanomas of the skin. Cancer Research 1969; 29: 705-727.
4. Chamberlain AJ, Fritschi L, Kelly JW. Nodular melanoma: patients' perceptions of presenting features and implications for earlier detection. J Am Acad Dermatol 2003; 48: 694-701.

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