Retrospective Chart Review of Melanoma Outcomes in Non-Hispanic Black Patients and Case-Matched Non-Hispanic White Patients

Background: It has long been studied that non-Hispanic black (NHB) patients have a lower incidence rate of melanoma but are typically diagnosed at a later stage and have poorer survival rates than non-Hispanic white (NHW) patients. No study has ever compared melanoma outcomes in NHB and NHW patients in our region, however. This study was performed to compare melanoma outcomes in NHB and NHW patients when melanoma depth of invasion is controlled.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all NHB patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous melanoma between 2021 and 2010, when the electronic medical record system was first implemented. A total of 24 NHB patients were identified, who were compared to 24 NHW patients with a melanoma depth within 0.5 mm.
Results: Eight NHB patients developed metastatic disease and five patients passed away due to their melanoma, compared to five NHW patients with metastatic disease and three patients passing away due to their melanoma. Additionally, NHB patients in this study were found to live closer to the hospital and have a slightly shorter time from diagnosis to treatment.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the data from this small retrospective chart review revealed that NHB patients have worse outcomes despite similar melanoma presentation. Even when the more obvious social determinants of health (SDOH) are mitigated, the biologic behavior of melanoma in NHB patients still appears to be more morbid. We present this data to emphasize the need for coupling SDOH to future research in the biology of melanoma

2022 UVA Health Disparities Conference - Breakout Session 1: Health Outcomes in Disadvantaged Populations