Overall
By Sex
By Age Group
Cancer incidence data are derived from the Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR) operated by Cancer Care Ontario. The OCR contains information on Ontario residents who have been newly diagnosed with all types of malignant cancers, with the exception of basal cell and squamous cell (non-melanoma) skin cancers. Cancer sites were coded using the Third Edition of the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICDO-3). Beginning in 2014, the OCR adopted the National Cancer Institute (NCI) SEER standards for counting multiple primaries for cancer cases diagnosed in 2010 and beyond. This standard is more liberal than the previously used case counting rules from the modified version of the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR). Cancer incidence data presented on this and other HealthSTATS pages reflect the new rules for counting multiple primary cancers. To ensure consistent interpretation of trends, cancer incidence data will only be presented from 2010 onward on all HealthSTATS pages.
This HealthSTATS page only includes cases of malignant melanomas of the skin. Non-epithelial skin cancers, which are not included in these statistics, represent less than 10% of skin cancers that are tracked by the OCR. These statistics also do not include data for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, which are not tracked by the OCR. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays is the most important risk factor for malignant melanomas. Sunlight is the main source of UV rays. Tanning beds and sun lamps are also sources of UV rays.
Overall
The rate of new cancer cases (also called the incidence rate) provides a measure of the risk of developing cancer over a given period of time. In 2018 among Simcoe Muskoka residents, there were over 220 new cases of malignant melanoma diagnosed for an age-standardized incidence rate of 33 (28.7, 37.7) new cases per 100,000 population. This was significantly higher than the Ontario malignant melanoma incidence rate of 25 (24.4, 26.0) new cases per 100,000.
The malignant melanoma incidence rates in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario did not change significantly between 2010 and 2018. The Simcoe Muskoka incidence rates were significantly higher than the comparable provincial rates for the entire nine-year period.
By Sex
In 2018, the age-standardized incidence rate for malignant melanoma among Simcoe Muskoka males was 39 (32.1, 46.3) new cases per 100,000, which was significantly higher than the female rate of 28 (22.9, 34.8) new cases per 100,000. The 2018 age-standardized malignant melanoma incidence rates for Ontario males and females were significantly lower than the comparable Simcoe Muskoka rates.
The malignant melanoma incidence rates among Simcoe Muskoka males and females did not change significantly between 2010 and 2018. The incidence rates were higher among Simcoe Muskoka males when compared with the female rates for the entire nine-year period.
By Age Group
The risk of being diagnosed with malignant melanoma increases significantly with age. The age-specific malignant melanoma incidence rates between 2010 and 2018 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka were highest among those 75 years and older at 149 (136.6, 161.8) new cases per 100,000 population. The age-specific malignant melanoma incidence rates in Simcoe Muskoka were significantly higher than the comparable provincial rates for adults of all age groups for this nine-year period.
