Death From Skin Cancer Among the Elderly

BACKGROUND: Melanoma has been the focus of early detection efforts of skin cancer because it is the leading cause of death from skin disorders. OBJECTIVE: To document the patterns of mortality from skin cancer throughout life. DESIGN: Population-based mortality registration. SETTING: United States, 1979 through 1991. PATIENTS: Decedents from skin cancer. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Distribution of deaths from skin cancer by cause of death, age, gender, and race. RESULTS: Skin cancer was responsible for 61458 deaths during the 8 years studied, 72% of which were attributed to melanoma. Melanoma accounted for about 90% of deaths from skin cancer among whites younger than 50 years, but only a minority of deaths among blacks and among whites older than 85 years. CONCLUSION: Efforts at early detection among the elderly white population should focus on both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers.