Each January, the American Cancer Society (ACS) releases updated estimates about trends in new cancer cases and deaths in its annual report, Cancer Facts and Figures. This report highlights the estimated incidence (number of new cases), prevalence (number of people alive today with a history of cancer), and survival statistics for cancer in the United States. Importantly, the report tracks trends over time – allowing us to monitor the impact of improvements to prevention and treatment approaches.

2024 Melanoma Facts and Figures:
  • An estimated 100,640 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US, affecting 59,170 men and 41,470 women; and
  • An estimated 8,290 deaths from melanoma are expected in the US, comprised of 5,430 men and 2,860 women. 

This data is incredibly useful for understanding how rates of melanoma shift over time and how melanoma research and new treatment options – such as advances in immunotherapy and targeted therapy – are improving patient survival and outcomes. 

Trends Seen Over the Last Decade of Available Data:
  • The five-year survival for patients with advanced melanoma has doubled to 38% in 2015 from 18% in 2009 due to advances in treating the disease.
  • Deaths due to melanoma have decreased by about 1% per year during 2017 - 2021, due to advances in melanoma treatment.
  • Despite being far more common in White Americans, disparities in melanoma survival persist. For example, melanoma survival over the period of 2013 – 2019 was 94% among Whites but only 71% in Black Americans.
  • Overall, during 2015 – 2019 rates of melanoma have stabilized among men but are increasing by about 2% each year in women.
  • During this same period, rates of new melanomas among people younger than 50 years old have stabilized among women and have decreased among men by 2.5% each year.

These data suggest that the numerous new treatments for melanoma approved over the last decade appear to be improving survival across the U.S. population. However, with an estimated 8,290 deaths this year from melanoma, more research is still critical to develop additional treatment options that benefit all patients. This is particularly true for patients facing rare melanoma subtypes and those whose disease is advancing despite available treatments. Understanding this urgent need for new melanoma treatments, MRA has invested more than 90% of its research funding to date into the discovery and development of new treatment options, including over 230 unique treatment approaches.  

The new report from ACS shows that melanoma is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States for both men and women. It also supports MRA’s current scientific priorities of increased focus on improving early detection and diagnosis across all races and ethnicities, understanding treatment resistance, deciphering brain metastasis and leptomeningeal disease, and research into rare melanomas. MRA is also investing in research to address racial disparities in treatment outcomes among patients with advanced disease. MRA’s Precision Prevention and Early Detection research program aims to empower more people to learn what sun-safe habits are appropriate for them, improve access to dermatology care, and advance research on new tools including artificial intelligence and machine learning for early detection, diagnosis, and prognosis.

This blog was published by the Melanoma Research Alliance on January 24, 2024. It is republished with permission.