Melanoma incidence rises for children and adolescents: An epidemiologic review of pediatric melanoma in the United States

Abstract Background/Purpose This study was conducted to determine the influence of age on disease presentation and evaluate the change in pediatric melanoma incidence between 1998 and 2007. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all children ≤ 18 years with cutaneous melanoma who were includ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pediatric surgery 2013-11, Vol.48 (11), p.2207-2213
Main Authors: Austin, Mary T, Xing, Yan, Hayes-Jordan, Andrea A, Lally, Kevin P, Cormier, Janice N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Age Factors
Age of Onset
Age-based differences
Child
Child, Preschool
Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Incidence
Infant
Melanoma - epidemiology
Melanoma - pathology
Morbidity - trends
Neoplasm Staging
Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced - epidemiology
Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced - pathology
Pediatric melanoma
Pediatrics
Retrospective Studies
SEER Program
Skin Neoplasms - epidemiology
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
Surgery
United States - epidemiology
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Summary:Abstract Background/Purpose This study was conducted to determine the influence of age on disease presentation and evaluate the change in pediatric melanoma incidence between 1998 and 2007. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all children ≤ 18 years with cutaneous melanoma who were included in the 2007 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 1988 and 2007. Results We identified a total of 1447 patients with cutaneous melanoma. The overall average annual melanoma incidence was 5.4 per 1 million children and adolescents in the U.S., which increased throughout the study period. Most patients (89%) were at least 10 years of age (average age 15 years). Melanoma in situ (21%), thin (< 1 mm) lesions (37%), stage I disease (46%), and superficial spreading histology (25%) were common at presentation. Only 1% of patients presented with distant metastases. Preadolescents younger than age 10 were ethnically more diverse and more likely to present with non-truncal primaries and advanced disease (P < .01) compared to adolescents. Conclusions The incidence of pediatric melanoma in the U.S. is increasing. There are significant differences between children and adolescents which suggest age-based inherent differences in the biology of the disease may exist.
ISSN:0022-3468
1531-5037
DOI:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2013.06.002