Health Disparities Influence Childhood Melanoma Stage at Diagnosis and Outcome

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Emma C. Hamilton ; MD¹ ; Hoang T. Nguyen ; PhD² ; Yu-Chia Chang ; MPH² ; Jan M. Eberth ; PhD³ ; ⁴ ; Janice Cormier ; MD ; MPH⁵ ; Linda S. Elting ; DrPh² ; Mary T. Austin ; MD ; MPH¹ ; ⁵ ; ⁶ ; ^{Mary.T.Austin@uth.tmc.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}
• 关键词：pediatric melanoma ; health services research ; socioeconomic status ; racial disparities
• 刊名：The Journal of Pediatrics
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：August 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：175
• 期：Complete
• 页码：182-187
• 全文大小：395 K

文摘

To identify health disparities in pediatric patients with melanoma that affect disease presentation and outcome.

Study design

This was a retrospective cohort study of all persons aged ≤18 years diagnosed with melanoma and enrolled in the Texas Cancer Registry between 1995 and 2009. Socioeconomic status (SES) and driving distance to the nearest pediatric cancer treatment center were calculated for each patient. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with advanced-stage disease. Life table methods and Cox regression were used to estimate survival probability and hazard ratios.

Results

A total of 185 adolescents (age >10 years) and 50 young children (age ≤10 years) were identified. Hispanics (n = 27; 12%) were 3 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites (n = 177; 75%) to present with advanced disease (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.7-8.8). Young children were twice as likely as adolescents to present with advanced disease (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1-4.3). Distance to treatment center and SES did not affect stage of disease at presentation. Hispanics and those in the lowest SES quartile had a significantly higher mortality risk (hazard ratios, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.2-7.8] and 4.3 [95% CI, 1.4-13.9], respectively). In the adjusted survival model, only advanced disease was predictive of mortality (P < .001).

Conclusion

Hispanics and young children with melanoma are more likely to present with advanced disease, and advanced disease is the single most important predictor of survival. Heightened awareness among physicians is needed to facilitate early detection of melanoma within these groups.