title: Comparison of stage at diagnosis of melanoma among Hispanic, black, and white patients in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare stage at diagnosis of melanoma between non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Melanoma cases reported to the Florida Cancer Data System, with known stage and race/ethnicity information, for residents of Miami-Dade County, Florida, from 1997 to 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  Those diagnosed as having melanoma according to the Florida Cancer Data System.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stage of melanoma at diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1690 melanoma cases reported with both stage and race/ethnicity information, 1176 (70%) were among non-Hispanic white patients, 485 (29%) were among Hispanic patients of any race, and 29 (2%) were among non-Hispanic black patients. Late-stage (regional and distant) diagnosis was more common among Hispanic (26%) and non-Hispanic black patients (52%) compared with non-Hispanic white patients (16%) (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced stage of melanoma diagnosis among Hispanic and black patients suggests suboptimal secondary prevention efforts in minority populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Fla., USA.
authors.forename: Shasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Rita M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Soza-Vento
authors.forename: Dorothy F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kirsner
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*