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Overall survival for melanoma lower in minority patients compared with whites

Although white patients had a higher incidence of cutaneous melanoma, overall survival was significantly lower for minority patients compared with whites, according to research recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“Everyone is at risk for skin cancer, regardless of race,” researcher Jeremy S. Bordeaux, MD, MPH, FAAD, of the department of dermatology, University Hospitals, Case Medical Center, in Cleveland, stated in a press release from the American Academy of Dermatology. “Patients with skin of color may believe they aren’t at risk, but that is not the case — and when they get skin cancer, it may be especially deadly.”

Bordeaux and colleagues used the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database to gather population data on 96,593 patients (54.7% male) diagnosed with primary cutaneous melanoma from 1992 to 2009 in 13 registries in the United States. The cohort included 91,572 whites, 509 blacks, 3,293 Hispanics and 1,219 Asian American/Native American/Pacific Islanders (AANAPI), with the largest age group aged 50 to 74 years.

Longest survival time was experienced by white patients, followed by Hispanic, AANAPI, and black patients (P < .05, all).

When overall survival was stratified by race, improved overall survival was demonstrated for white patients, while black patients experienced the poorest outcomes. In stages I and III, black patients had an increased hazard ratio for stage I (HR = 3.037; 95% CI, 2.335-3.951) and stage III (HR = 1.864; 95% CI, 1.21-2.87) when compared with white patients.

Black patients had a higher proportion of stages II to IV melanoma compared with white patients.

“Although white patients make up the majority of patients with melanoma, their minority counterparts have worse survival outcomes and are given diagnoses at later stages,” the researchers concluded. “The consistent disparity across different cancers shows that a serious gap exists in health care. If compounded with the biases and barriers present in the diagnosis, and the lack of screening of minority populations, an explanation for the poor survival outcomes in melanoma survival among minority populations is elucidated.” – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.