{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T15:27:57Z","timestamp":1787153277805,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"American Medical Association (AMA)","issue":"8","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JAMA Dermatol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"abstract":"\n Importance<\/jats:title>\n In Germany, a population-based skin cancer screening (SCS) program was implemented in 2008. The benefit of the intervention is unclear.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n To determine whether the German SCS program was associated with reduced melanoma mortality.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Design, Setting, and Participants<\/jats:title>\n This population-based, ecological comparative effectiveness study compared trends in melanoma mortality from 2009 to 2022 in Germany with those in neighboring countries without population-based SCS using data on melanoma mortality from the official cause-of-death statistics. The total populations of 15 federal states of Germany and 9 neighboring countries were examined. The German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein was excluded from the analysis due to a potential lasting effect of a preceding pilot project, conducted in 2003 and 2004. Data were analyzed from November 7, 2025, to February 11, 2026.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Exposure<\/jats:title>\n The German SCS program entitles men and women aged 35 years and older to a visual skin examination every 2 years, regardless of their individual skin cancer risk. The 2-year participation rate was estimated at approximately 32%.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Main Outcomes and Measures<\/jats:title>\n Pooled estimates of annual percentage changes (APCs) in age-standardized melanoma mortality rates in German and non-German control regions were calculated using a random-effects model.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Data include a mean of 79.1 million inhabitants in Germany and 164.8 million inhabitants in 9 neighboring countries. Between 2009 and 2022, age-standardized melanoma mortality rates decreased in each included region. In Germany, APCs ranged from \u22123.8% (95% CI, \u22125.5% to \u22122.2%) to \u22120.1% (95% CI, \u22121.7% to 1.5%). In the control regions, mortality rates decreased between \u22123.8% (95% CI, \u22124.9% to \u22122.7%) and \u22121.0% (95% CI, \u22121.9% to \u22120.2%) per year. Pooled APC estimates are \u22121.8% (95% CI, \u22122.3% to \u22121.4%) for Germany and \u22122.2% (95% CI, \u22122.8% to \u22121.6%) for the non-German control regions; the difference was not statistically significant (\n P<\/jats:italic>\n \u2009=\u2009.42).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions and Relevance<\/jats:title>\n The findings of this ecological study are in line with previous studies that failed to show a melanoma mortality benefit associated with the German SCS program. To enable a well-founded decision on the future of the program, the causes of its poor performance should be investigated.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2026.1527","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T15:30:52Z","timestamp":1781105452000},"page":"775","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Population Skin Cancer Screening and Melanoma Mortality Rates"],"prefix":"10.1001","volume":"162","author":[{"given":"Joachim","family":"H\u00fcbner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Agency for Clinical Cancer Data of Lower Saxony, Oldenburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Schumann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, 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