There were no significant changes in the incidence of either germ cell cancer, retinoblastoma, leukemia, neuroblastoma, soft-tissue sarcomas, or bone tumors.
The only significant decrease over the study period was in the incidence of melanoma in children (–2.6).
“Possible causes of increasing rates might include changes in diagnostic, coding, and reporting standards, increased detection, population-based changes (such as increasing obesity), and environmental exposures,” they wrote.
Public health campaigns about the dangers of UV exposure and promoting the use of sunscreens may account for the decline in the incidence of malignant melanoma, they suggested.
The study was supported by the CDC. Dr. Siegel and coauthors are CDC employees. They reported having no conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Siegel DA et al. ASPHO 2018, Abstract 605.