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 × 10 population in 1978 (95% CI 0.04-0.6) to a high of 1.0 × 10 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 ( < 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.