OBJECTIVES: There were 6701 new cases of cutaneous melanoma estimated in 2000 and melanoma ranked as the ninth highest of all cancers in France. Prevalence data and stage distribution are not currently available. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence by stage and 5-year survival rate in patients with melanoma occurring in 2000 and to estimate overall and metastatic cancer prevalence at the end of 2004. METHODS: This study was carried out by eight general cancer registries, members of the French cancer registry network FRANCIM. Data were collected through medical record and birth town hall database for vital status. The 5-year observed survival and its confidence intervals were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. The estimate of prevalence was performed according to the method proposed by Colonna et al. (Eur J Cancer 2001). RESULTS: 840 cases were analysed. The repartition of new melanoma cases in 2000 according to stage was: stage I (56.5 %), stage II (21.1 %), stage III (4.3 %), stage IV (1.5 %). For 16.6 % of cases the stage was unknown. National estimation of melanoma diagnosed with initial metastasis was 102 cases in 2000. The 5-year survival was 79.9% CI 95 [76.9% ; 82.5%]. Survival was dependent on age (95.8% in patients less than 40 years and 38% in patients aged 80+ years) and stage of disease (91.9%  stage I ; 23.1% stage IV). The prevalence was estimated to be 31,278 cases in France in 2004 with 2,310 involving metastasis (7.4%). CONCLUSIONS: This study brings important information on cutaneous melanoma epidemiology in France. These results are essential for the epidemiological surveillance of melanoma as well as for the evaluation of screening campaigns and needs in health care. RESULTS : CONCLUSIONS :