INCIDENCE OF SKIN MELANOMA IN UKRAINE

Korovin S.I., Gulak L.O., Tolstopyatov B.A., Dovgopolaya O.A., Palivets A.Y., Smakova M.S.

Retrospective analysis of the incidence of skin melanoma in Ukraine over the period between 1982 and 2003 was carried out. In the oncologic morbidity structure of Ukraine, skinmelanomaranks 16th. The incidence levels in menand women populations donotdiffersignificantly be­ ingashighas 4.7 and 4.9 per 100,000 (Ukrainianstandard). The morbidity rates are the highest (9.5 to 5.5 per 100,000) in the Crimea, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odessa oblasts, and in the cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol. It should be noted that the share of skin melanoma has recently increased at a higher rate compared to other malignancies. Thus, dur­ ing the period between 1982 and 1986, the annual average growth rate was 5.0%, but increased to 7.3% in the period between 1997 and 2003. The highest growth of the morbidity rates is observed in two age groups, 0–29 and 50–59 years of age. This is true for both men and women. Prognostic es­ timations of the morbidity rates suggest that the incidence is expected to increase in the young age groups.