A study published in June 2025 issue of Journal of American Academy of Dermatology underscored that delayed diagnosis and greater acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) burden contribute to poorer melanoma outcomes.
Source: Physician’s Weekly, June 2025
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to understand the epidemiology of ALM across racial groups and determine whether outcome disparities were primarily driven by delayed diagnosis.
They extracted cutaneous melanoma cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database. Disease severity at the time of diagnosis and the risk of melanoma-specific mortality were analyzed across racial groups. Comparisons were made among the 4 major melanoma histological subtypes, adjusting for clinicopathological and socioeconomic covariates.