Comparison of Stage at Diagnosis of Melanoma Among Hispanic, Black, and White Patients in Miami-Dade County, Florida

OBJECTIVE: To compare stage at diagnosis of melanoma between non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic patients. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: 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. PATIENTS: Those diagnosed as having melanoma according to the Florida Cancer Data System. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: 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). CONCLUSION: Advanced stage of melanoma diagnosis among Hispanic and black patients suggests suboptimal secondary prevention efforts in minority populations.