OBJECTIVES: To assess the incidence and number of deaths from melanoma each year as well as the number of patients pharmacologically treated according to the type of drug they were treated with.

METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on the Polish population treated for advanced melanoma between January 2012 and October 2016. This period reflects the time since new drugs for melanoma, other than chemotherapy, have been reimbursed in Poland. The data on drugs usage was obtained from the Polish NHF. Melanoma incidence and number of deaths from this cancer were acquired from National Oncology Registry. Regression analysis was performed to predict the missing data for years 2015-2016.

RESULTS: The National Cancer Registry data indicate a permanent increase in both the incidence and number of deaths from melanoma. The highest increase in incidence was observed in the age group over 55 years old for both sexes. There is also a stable growth in the number of patients pharmacologically treated for advanced melanoma (in 2015 almost 40%). Dacarbazine was most commonly used drug in chemotherapy (89% and 93% respectively as first and next lines). However, introducing vemurafenib to reimbursement in 2013, and then ipilimumab in 2014 resulted in a significant decline in dacarbazine usage, from 84% in 2012 to 75% in 2016.

CONCLUSIONS: