The Odds of Stage IV Melanoma Diagnoses Based on Socioeconomic Factors

Abstract

Background: When diagnosed at stage 0-I, melanoma has a 5-year survival rate of 92% to 100% in comparison with stage IV, which has a 5-year survival rate of 15% to 20%. Objective: The objective of this article is to identify what socioeconomic and demographic factors were associated with increased odds in receiving a delayed melanoma diagnosis. Methods: This study analyzed the odds of 108,628 patients from the National Cancer Database who were diagnosed between 2004 and 2012 with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage 0-I and stage IV based on race, sex, insurance type, income, facility type, and education. Results: We identified significantly (P