Clinical Data Lacking on Black Patients With Melanoma

Source: AjMC, February 2024

A single-institution, retrospective cohort study evaluates knowledge gaps in clinical data on Black patients with melanoma.

A study recently published in JAMA Dermatology highlighted the clinically under-documented characteristics of Black patients with melanoma, including genetics, familial and personal cancer histories, anatomic sites, and immune statuses.

Melanoma occurs in 1 out of 100,000 Black patients per year. This patient population also experiences worse survival outcomes compared with White patients, the authors noted. Data kept on Black patients with melanoma is lacking a plethora of details, such as information on disease progression, sequence variations, treatments, and more. These insufficient records contribute to considerable gaps in knowledge regarding Black patients with melanoma, therefore, researchers designed a study to identify the features of melanoma and melanoma-related mortality in this population.
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