Lifetime risks of cutaneous melanoma by histological subtype and race/ethnicity in the United States

Abstract

The probability of developing melanoma of the skin in the United States has been previously reported as a whole entity. This study aimed to describe lifetime risks of cutaneous melanoma by histological subtype among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Melanoma cases newly diagnosed in 2005-2007 were obtained from 16 registries participating in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Lifetime risks of developing melanoma subtypes (nodular melanoma, lentigo maligna melanoma, superficial spreading melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma and desmoplastic melanoma) were examined among non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic whites, Blacks, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. Of the total 43,690 melanoma cases, 18,910 cases (43%) diagnosed with one of the five histological subtypes were included in the study. The results reveal that lifetime risks of melanoma subtypes differ among racial and ethnic groups, and therefore, stratification of the risks by subtype provides useful information in evaluating and counseling patients.