Metastatic melanoma mortality in Malta

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are currently no studies looking specifically at the characteristics of the primary melanoma in patients who died of metastatic melanoma in Malta. This retrospective study looks at the demographics of these patients and the characteristics of their primary melanoma.

METHOD: Mortality data secondary to metastatic melanoma between 2007 and 2016 was gathered from the Malta National Mortality Registry. All patients whose death certificates had metastatic melanoma as the cause of death were included. Further data on histology and imaging was gathered from the Malta National Cancer Registry and the hospital electronic database.

RESULTS: There were 87 recorded deaths (45 male; 42 female) in Malta secondary to metastatic melanoma between 2007 and 2016, with an average age at diagnosis of the primary melanoma of 64.3 years (range 23-92 years), average age at death of 67.9 years (range 28-96 years) and an average duration of survival after diagnosis of primary melanoma of 34.7 months (range 1-180 months). The commonest histological subtype of the primary cutaneous melanoma was nodular. The commonest site for the primary cutaneous melanoma was the back. The mean Breslow thickness was 4.23mm (range 0.3-13mm). The commonest site of metastasis was to distant lymph nodes, followed by the skin, liver and lung.

CONCLUSION: Mortality secondary to metastatic melanoma is prevalent in the over 60 age group, with the back being the commonest site of the primary melanoma. Identification of patients who are at higher risk of death from melanoma in Malta allows for their more effective targeting in local melanoma screening and education campaigns.