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

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.