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. 2021 Mar;7(1):66-69.
doi: 10.1159/000511215. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

Incidence of Cutaneous Melanoma of Eyelid Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database

Philip Brunetti  1 , Curtis E Margo  1   2 , Dustin D French  3   4   5
Affiliations

Incidence of Cutaneous Melanoma of Eyelid Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database

Philip Brunetti et al. Ocul Oncol Pathol. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this work was to report the annual incidence, incidence trend, histological types, and cause-specific survival of cutaneous melanoma of the eyelid from 1975 through to 2017.

Methods: Cases were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database using the ICD-0-3 standard codes for diagnosis and anatomic location. Cutaneous melanomas of the face and scalp/neck were studied as comparison groups. Incidence rates were calculated using the SEER*Stat statistical analysis software with 95% confidence intervals. Melanoma-specific survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limited method.

Results: There was an increase in annual incidence of eyelid melanoma over the 43-year study period, ranging from a low of 0.2 × 106 population in 1978 (95% CI 0.04-0.6) to a high of 1.0 × 106 population in 2016 (95% CI 2.3-3.5). The average annual percent change was 1.2% (95% CI 0.5-1.8). Cause-specific survival of melanoma of the eyelid and facial skin were almost identical (approx. 91.7%) at 60 months but significantly worse for melanoma of the scalp/neck (p < 0.05%).

Conclusions: Cutaneous melanoma of the eyelid is uncommon compared to melanoma of facial skin and the scalp/neck. This can be explained in part by the comparatively small surface area at risk. Like melanomas elsewhere, the annual incidence of eyelid melanoma has risen over the last 4 decades, but less than of facial skin and the scalp/neck. Over the span of this study, cause-specific survival from eyelid melanoma was comparable to that of facial skin and better than that of the scalp/neck.

Keywords: Eyelid melanoma; Facial melanoma; Melanoma incidence; Ocular oncology; SEER.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no ethical, proprietary, or commercial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Kaplan-Meier melanoma-specific survival with 95% CI for melanoma of eyelid, face, and scalp/neck. Cause-specific survival for melanoma of the face parallels that of the eyelid but has a narrower confidence interval. Survival for eyelid and face was significantly better than for scalp/neck.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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