Objectives:To understand the incidence, prevalence, and survival probability in the whole population in Taiwan. Methods:This study utilized the 2005 to 2011 National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database to study the disease. Inclusion criterion was that patients had at least two outpatient visits or one inpatient stay for melanoma (ICD9 code: 172). Patients’ medical orders for outpatient visits and inpatient stay were linked. Their overall survival data were presented as product-limit survival probabilities. Results:There were 240 to 290 new cases annually between 2006 and 2011. The raw incidence rate was about 1.1 to 1.26 per 100,000 persons,. The age adjusted incidence rate was around 1.5 per 100,000 persons. This was much lower than that the overall incidence in the US (21.1 per 100,000 per year). But it was similar to that of Asia-Pacific islanders in the US. The proportion of death between 2006 and 2011 were 28.8% and 21.9% among males and females respectively. This was different from the US population, whose 5 year survival was 91.3%. The population composition of the US was different from that in Taiwan and thus cannot be compared directly. About 29% of Taiwan patients were farmers. The mortality of farmers (36.5%) was slightly higher than that of non-farmers (22.4%). After controlling for age and sex, the hazard ratio of farmer vs. non-farmers was 1.136. Their age of diagnosis was much higher than the non-farmers: 82% and 34% for farmers and non-farmers diagnosed at age 65 and above, respectively. Conclusions:Malignant melanoma is found to be a rare but deadly disease in Taiwan. One reason for low survival probability was that farmers delayed the diagnosis to old age. It is suggested to screen farmers in early age.
