Melanoma in African-Americans: Trends in biological behavior and clinical characteristics over two decades

Background: The incidence of melanoma in the United States is increasing. Data on this disease in African‐Americans is sparse. Methods: Chart review of patients diagnozed with melanoma from 1975 to 1997 at Charity Hospital New Orleans (CHNO). Age, gender, anatomic distribution, histology, presenting...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of surgical oncology 2001-09, Vol.78 (1), p.10-16
Main Authors: Bellows, Charles F., Belafsky, Peter, Fortgang, Ilana S., Beech, Derrich J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
African Americans - statistics & numerical data
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Dermatology
European Continental Ancestry Group
Female
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
melanoma
Melanoma - epidemiology
Melanoma - mortality
Melanoma - pathology
Middle Aged
race
Skin Neoplasms - epidemiology
Skin Neoplasms - mortality
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
stage at presentation
survival
Survival Rate
Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions
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Summary:Background: The incidence of melanoma in the United States is increasing. Data on this disease in African‐Americans is sparse. Methods: Chart review of patients diagnozed with melanoma from 1975 to 1997 at Charity Hospital New Orleans (CHNO). Age, gender, anatomic distribution, histology, presenting stage, survival, and race were evaluated. Results: Forty‐four of 198 patients were African‐American, of whom the majority developed cutaneous melanoma on the acral surface of the foot. African‐American males were four times more likely to present with a cutaneous lesion than were African‐American females. The median survival time for African‐American with cutaneous lesions was 45 months, compared to 135 months for caucasians who were 3.6 times more likely to present with early disease (P 
ISSN:0022-4790
1096-9098
DOI:10.1002/jso.1116