Actualization. Over the past decades, the incidence of skin melanoma (MS) in Russia has increased. In terms of total growth, it ranks 2nd among all malignant skin tumors, having increased by 28.72% from 2008 to 2018.With the advent of new anticancer drugs, mortality from MS during this period decreased by 45.83%. However, while maintaining a similar growth dynamics in the near future, mortality rates from MS will return to the 2008 level due to an increase in the number of cases.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the dynamics of the main epidemiological indicators of MS morbidity in Russia and Moscow from 2008 to 2018.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The official statistical data of the Russian Ministry of Health on the state of cancer care to the population, morbidity and mortality from malignant tumors in Russia for 2008 and 2018 were used.

RESULTS

In 2018 the maximum MS incidence rates were registered at the age of 65—69 years. Women were more often ill in all age groups. In the near future the number of sick men and women in Russia and Moscow may level off. Mortality in the first year of life after diagnosis in Moscow is lower than in Russia, and 31.43% lower than in 2008. In Russia, the mortality rate has decreased by 20.9%. Over 10 years, the number of patients identified at stages III—IV decreased by 34.6% in Russia and by 33.8% in Moscow, which indicates an improvement in the diagnosis of MS. This was mainly due to a reduction in the number of stage III diseases. Only every 3rd—4th patient in Russia is actively detected, despite the fact that melanoma is a tumor of visual localization. However, over the past 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of actively identified patients with MS.

Summary. In recent years, there has been a real breakthrough in treatment of MS in the world and in Russia. Methods of systemic therapy are being improved, new modes of therapy have appeared and are being introduced into clinical practice. All this was reflected in the statistics, where for 10 years the disease detection at late stages decreased, mortality in the first year of life after the diagnosis, the share of actively identified patients increased 3 times.