DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Melanoma Among Non-Hispanic Black Americans

Journal Article · · Preventing Chronic Disease
 [1];  [2]
  1. American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA (United States)
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA (United States)

Few studies have examined melanoma incidence and survival rates among non-Hispanic black populations because melanoma risk is lower among this group than among non-Hispanic white populations. However, non-Hispanic black people are often diagnosed with melanoma at later stages, and the predominant histologic types of melanomas that occur in non-Hispanic black people have poorer survival rates than the most common types among non-Hispanic white people. Methods: We used the US Cancer Statistics 2001–2015 Public Use Research Database to examine melanoma incidence and 5-year survival among non-Hispanic black US populations. Results: From 2011 through 2015, the overall incidence of melanoma among non-Hispanic black people was 1.0 per 100,000, and incidence increased with age. Although 63.8% of melanomas in nonHispanic black people were of unspecified histology, the most commonly diagnosed defined histologic type was acral lentiginous melanoma (16.7%). From 2001 through 2014, the relative 5- year melanoma survival rate among non-Hispanic black people was 66.2%. Conclusion: Although incidence of melanoma is relatively rare among nonHispanic black populations, survival rates lag behind rates for non-Hispanic white populations. Improved public education is needed about incidence of acral lentiginous melanoma among nonHispanic black people along with increased awareness among health care providers.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0014664
OSTI ID:
1904977
Journal Information:
Preventing Chronic Disease, Vol. 16; ISSN 1545-1151
Publisher:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (34)

Skin cancer risk perceptions: A comparison across ethnicity, age, education, gender, and income journal May 2012
Skin cancer and photoprotection in people of color: A review and recommendations for physicians and the public journal April 2014
Patterns of sunscreen use on the face and other exposed skin among US adults journal July 2015
Racial and ethnic variations in incidence and survival of cutaneous melanoma in the United States, 1999-2006 journal November 2011
Ethnic Differences Among Patients With Cutaneous Melanoma journal September 2006
Melanoma survival in the United States, 1992 to 2005 journal November 2011
Acral Lentiginous Melanoma journal April 2009
The epidemiology of UV induced skin cancer journal October 2001
Maximum utilization of the life table method in analyzing survival journal December 1958
Plantar malignant melanoma – a challenge for early recognition journal December 2000
Association between cutaneous melanoma incidence rates among white US residents and county-level estimates of solar ultraviolet exposure journal November 2011
Historical, Clinical, and Dermoscopic Characteristics of Thin Nodular Melanoma journal March 2010
Anatomic Distribution of Malignant Melanoma on the Non-Hispanic Black Patient, 1998-2007 journal July 2012
UV‐induced DNA damage and melanin content in human skin differing in racial/ethnic origin journal April 2003
Racial differences in six major subtypes of melanoma: descriptive epidemiology journal August 2016
Melanoma of the hand and foot: epidemiological, prognostic and genetic features. A systematic review journal March 2012
Association Between Race/Ethnicity and Survival of Melanoma Patients in the United States Over 3 Decades journal April 2016
The association between demographic and behavioral characteristics and sunburn among U.S. adults — National Health Interview Survey, 2010 journal June 2014
UV Radiation, Latitude, and Melanoma in US Hispanics and Blacks journal July 2004
Skin cancer knowledge, awareness, beliefs and preventive behaviors among black and hispanic men and women journal December 2018
Nodular melanoma: Patients' perceptions of presenting features and implications for earlier detection journal May 2003
Historical, Clinical, and Dermoscopic Characteristics of Thin Nodular Melanoma journal March 2010
Ethnic Differences Among Patients With Cutaneous Melanoma journal September 2006
Maximum utilization of the life table method in analyzing survival journal December 1958
Association between cutaneous melanoma incidence rates among white US residents and county-level estimates of solar ultraviolet exposure journal November 2011
Skin cancer risk perceptions: A comparison across ethnicity, age, education, gender, and income journal May 2012
Melanoma survival in the United States, 1992 to 2005 journal November 2011
Racial and ethnic variations in incidence and survival of cutaneous melanoma in the United States, 1999-2006 journal November 2011
Nodular melanoma: Patients' perceptions of presenting features and implications for earlier detection journal May 2003
Melanoma Thickness and Survival Trends in the United States, 1989–2009 journal November 2015
UV‐induced DNA damage and melanin content in human skin differing in racial/ethnic origin journal April 2003
Plantar malignant melanoma – a challenge for early recognition journal December 2000
Malignant Melanoma in African–Americans journal April 2017
Racial differences in six major subtypes of melanoma: descriptive epidemiology journal August 2016