Women younger than 40 with primary melanoma may have relatively poorer prognosis than older women.
To further investigate the role of gender in melanoma, these authors sought to determine whether there were differences between older and younger women patients. In this retrospective review of data from the multicenter Sunbelt Melanoma Trial, which enrolled patients from 1996 to 2003, they divided 1056 women patients with melanoma into two groups: those younger than or equal to 40 and those older.
Overall, tumor prognostic features were similar in both groups, but younger women were more likely to have truncal melanomas (39.5% versus 29.5%, P=0.0017). Truncal melanomas, in turn, were more likely to be associated with worse 5-year disease-free survival rates in younger women (78.1% with truncal vs. 92.5% with nontruncal melanoma) but not in …
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant / Advisory boardAmway
Editorial boards JAMA Dermatology; Dermatologic Surgery; Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology; Lasers in Medical Science; Skin Therapy Letter
Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Chair, Health Care Finance Committee); American College of Mohs Surgery (Board of Directors); American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (Board of Directors)
DisclosuresConsultant / Advisory boardAmway
Editorial boards JAMA Dermatology; Dermatologic Surgery; Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology; Lasers in Medical Science; Skin Therapy Letter
Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Chair, Health Care Finance Committee); American College of Mohs Surgery (Board of Directors); American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (Board of Directors)