title: Pediatric melanoma in New Mexico American Indians, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites, 1981-2009.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pediatric melanoma rates are increasing nationally. Our purpose was to determine the incidence of melanoma in New Mexico's (NM's) American Indian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review (1981 to 2009) of the NM Tumor Registry was conducted. Melanomas diagnosed in children <19 years of age were identified. Average annual age-adjusted incidence rates per million were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-four cases were identified. Rates per million were 7.4 for non-Hispanic whites, 2.1 for Hispanics, and 3.3 for American Indians. Fifty-nine percent were women. Fifty-five (86%) cases were localized, 6 (9%) were regional, and 1 (3%) case was metastatic. Majority of cases (49/64; 77%) occurred in children >14 years of age. American Indians presented with thicker melanomas as compared to whites and Hispanics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incidence rates for pediatric melanoma in NM are highest for non-Hispanic whites. Distant metastasis is uncommon. Melanoma in children is rare, but practitioners must be aware of its occurrence for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. Electronic address: arajput@salud.unm.edu.
authors.forename: Ashwani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajput
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Syed A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Faizi
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nir
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fahy
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: New Mexico Tumor Registry, Division of Population Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wiggins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018426:SEER Program / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hispanic; Incidence; Melanoma; Native American; Pediatric