Nine-in-ten survive melanoma for at least five years, NCRI report finds
A new report shows good news for skin cancer patients with most people (close to 100 per cent) surviving at least five years after being diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer.
For melanoma, the more serious type of skin cancer, nine-in-ten patients (92 per cent) survive for at least five years post-diagnosis. About 270 people die from skin cancer each year in Ireland.
The findings are in the latest report from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI).
More than 11,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, making it the most common cancer in Ireland. About nine-in-ten cases are non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC).
The report also highlighted that the incidence rate of squamous cell carcinoma is decreasing in women, and the rate for basil cell carcinoma – both a form of NMSC – is stabilising. However, the incidence rate for melanoma in women continues to increase.
For men, the incidence rate of SCC is stabilising, while the BCC incidence rate is increasing at a slower pace. For melanoma, the incidence rate in men stopped increasing since 2015.
Men are more likely to die from skin cancer than women. They are 1.6 times more likely to die from melanoma and 2.3 times more likely to die from NMSC.
High survival rates are attributed to the fact that most skin cancers (both melanoma and non-melanoma) are caught early (at stage I or II), which makes them much easier to treat successfully.
Commenting on the report, NCRI director Prof Deirdre Murray said: “Understanding the trends in skin cancer is vital for public health awareness and prevention strategies. Many of these cancers could be prevented with wider adoption of safe sun practices in our population and avoidance of sun beds.”