Overdiagnosis of melanoma?

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

New research suggests that there might be an issue with over diagnosing melanoma in the USA.
In 2002, the incidence of melanoma was around six times that in 1950. But some dermatologists suggest that this is because there are more skin biopsies being done. Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School now report that the skin biopsy rate went up two and a half times between 1986 and 2001. And the incidence of melanoma went up 2.4 fold, from 45 to 108 per 100,000 population.

Even if there is a real increase in the true occurrence of the disease, 1000 additional biopsies were linked with 6.9 extra melanoma cases, say the researchers. These were early cases. The death rate from melanoma has remained stable. The findings suggest that the increased incidence of melanoma has much to do with increased diagnostic scrutiny. This is not a bad thing, of course, but it is not the same as there being a dramatic increase in the underlying rate of melanoma.

Source
British Medical Journal online 4th August 2005