Melanoma patient survival in New Zealand
Friday January 27, 2012
Five-year cumulative relative survival ratio for patients with melanoma is high, according to a Ministry of Health publication. No real changes in survival were seen between 1998 and 2007.
Published in late 2010, Cancer patient survival covering the period 1994 to 2007 provides a broad overview of cancer patient survival in New Zealand and groups cancer patients into 24 site groupings, including melanoma. The data is further broken down by age, sex, ethnicity, extent of disease and deprivation.
Survival has been calculated for up to ten years after the date of diagnosis. The data also has been analysed over time, to show how five-year survival has changed between 1998 and 2007.
Key points for melanoma of the skin are as follows:
- The five-year cumulative relative survival ratio for patients with melanoma was high, at 0.903; the equivalent 10-year ratio was 0.889.
- Females experienced slightly higher survival ratios than males.
- Māori had lower survival ratios than non-Māori.
- Survival depended very much on the extent of disease at diagnosis, where this was stated.
- Small differences in survival were seen between deprivation groups.
- No real changes in survival were seen between 1998 and 2007.
- The number of Māori registered with this cancer was very low, and therefore survival ratios over time were variable.
As outlined in the publication, cancer survival is calculated by comparing the number of people who died with cancer (with follow-up over a period of up to 10 years) with the number of people in the general population who would have been expected to die over the same period. A ratio of one indicates that the cancer survival ratio is the same as would be expected in the general population of the same age and sex.
Ministry of Health. 2010. Cancer patient survival covering the period 1994 to 2007. Wellington: Ministry of Health. (Only soft copy available to download.)
http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/cancer-patient-survival-covering-period-1994-2007
