Health Disparities Influence Childhood Melanoma Stage at Diagnosis and Outcome

Early death from childhood cancer: First medical record-level analysis reveals insights on diagnostic timing and cause of death

BACKGROUND

Approximately 7.5% of pediatric cancer deaths occur in the first 30 days post diagnosis, termed early death (ED). Previous database-level analyses identified increased ED in Black/Hispanic patients, infants, late adolescents, those in poverty, and with specific diagnoses. Socioeconomic and clinical risk factors have never been assessed at the medical record level and are poorly understood.

METHODS

We completed a retrospective case-control study of oncology patients diagnosed from 1995 to 2016 at Children's Hospital Colorado. The ED group (n = 45) was compared to a non-early death (NED) group surviving >31 days, randomly selected from the same cohort (n = 44). Medical records and death certificates were manually reviewed for sociodemographic and clinical information to identify risk factors for ED.

RESULTS

We identified increased ED risk in central nervous system (CNS) tumors and, specifically, high-grade glioma and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor. There was prolonged time from symptom onset to seeking care in the ED group (29.4 vs. 9.8 days) with similar time courses to diagnosis thereafter. Cause of death was most commonly from tumor progression in brain/CNS tumors and infection in hematologic malignancies.

CONCLUSIONS

In this first medical record-level analysis of ED, we identified socioeconomic and clinical risk factors. ED was associated with longer time from first symptoms to presentation, suggesting that delayed presentation may be an addressable risk factor. Many individual patient-level risk factors, including socioeconomic measures and barriers to care, were unable to be assessed through record review, highlighting the need for a prospective study to understand and address childhood cancer ED.

Melanoma in children: A systematic review and individual patient meta-analysis

The current evidence on paediatric melanoma is heterogeneous, especially regarding the prognosis of different histological subtypes. We sought to systematically review the evidence on paediatric melanoma, highlighting the major sources of heterogeneity and focusing on available data on single patients. A systematic search was performed from 1948 to 25 January 2021. Only studies reporting at least one case of cutaneous melanoma in patients aged ≤18 years were included. Unknown primary and uncertain malignant melanomas were excluded. Three couples of authors independently performed title/abstract screening and two different authors reviewed all the relevant full texts. The selected articles were manually cross-checked for overlapping data for qualitative synthesis. Subsequently data on single patients were extracted to perform a patient-level meta-analysis. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021233248. The main outcomes were melanoma-specific survival (MSS) and progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes. Separate analyses were done of cases with complete information on histologic subtype, focusing on superficial spreading (SSM), nodular (NM) and spitzoid melanomas, as well as of those classified as de-novo (DNM) and acquired or congenital nevus-associated melanomas (NAM). The qualitative synthesis covered 266 studies; however, data on single patients were available from 213 studies including 1002 patients. Among histologic subtypes, NM had a lower MSS than both SSM and spitzoid melanoma, and a lower PFS than SSM. Spitzoid melanoma had a significantly higher progression risk than SSM and trended toward lower mortality. Focusing on nevus-associated status, DNM demonstrated better MSS after progression than congenital NAM, and no differences were highlighted in PFS. Our findings describe the existence of different biological patterns in paediatric melanoma. Specifically, spitzoid melanomas demonstrated intermediate behaviour between SSM and NM and showed a high risk of nodal progression but low mortality. This raises the question of whether spitzoid lesions are being over-diagnosed as melanoma in childhood.

The Family Lifestyles, Actions and Risk Education (FLARE) study: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a sun protection intervention for children of melanoma survivors

BACKGROUND

Children of parents who had melanoma are more likely to develop skin cancer themselves owing to shared familial risks. The prevention of sunburns and promotion of sun-protective behaviors are essential to control cancer among these children. The Family Lifestyles, Actions and Risk Education (FLARE) intervention will be delivered as part of a randomized controlled trial to support parent-child collaboration to improve sun safety outcomes among children of melanoma survivors.

METHODS

FLARE is a two-arm randomized controlled trial design that will recruit dyads comprised of a parent who is a melanoma survivor and their child (aged 8-17 years). Dyads will be randomized to receive FLARE or standard skin cancer prevention education, which both entail 3 telehealth sessions with an interventionist. FLARE is guided by Social-Cognitive and Protection Motivation theories to target child sun protection behaviors through parent and child perceived risk for melanoma, problem-solving skills, and development of a family skin protection action plan to promote positive modeling of sun protection behaviors. At multiple assessments through one-year post-baseline, parents and children complete surveys to assess frequency of reported child sunburns, child sun protection behaviors and melanin-induced surface skin color change, and potential mediators of intervention effects (e.g., parent-child modeling).

CONCLUSION

The FLARE trial addresses the need for melanoma preventive interventions for children with familial risk for the disease. If efficacious, FLARE could help to mitigate familial risk for melanoma among these children by teaching practices which, if enacted, decrease sunburn occurrence and improve children's use of well-established sun protection strategies.

The impact of health insurance coverage on racial/ethnic disparities in US childhood and adolescent cancer stage at diagnosis

BACKGROUND

Racial/ethnic minority children and adolescents are more likely to have an advanced cancer diagnosis compared with non-Hispanic Whites, which may relate to the lack of consistent health care access. This study aims to describe racial/ethnic disparities in cancer diagnosis stage among children and adolescents and assess whether health insurance mediates these disparities.

METHODS

Data on individuals ≤19 years of age diagnosed with primary cancers from 2007 to 2016 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 database. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between race/ethnicity and cancer diagnosis stage were calculated using Poisson regression. Analyses addressing health insurance as a potential mediator were also performed.

RESULTS

Compared with non-Hispanic Whites, racial/ethnic minorities had a higher prevalence of a distant cancer diagnosis, with PRs of 1.31 (95% CI, 1.23-1.40) for non-Hispanic Blacks, 1.14 (95% CI, 1.04-1.24) for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 1.15 (95% CI, 1.09-1.21) for Hispanics. These associations were attenuated when adjusting for health insurance, with PRs of 1.24 (95% CI, 1.16-1.33) for non-Hispanic Blacks, 1.11 (95% CI, 1.02-1.21) for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 1.07 (95% CI, 1.01-1.13) for Hispanics. Any Medicaid or no insurance at diagnosis mediated 49%, 22%, and 9% of the observed association with distant stage in Hispanics, non-Hispanic Blacks, and non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Disparities in cancer diagnosis stage in racial/ethnic minority children and adolescents may be partially explained by health insurance coverage. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms.

Social determinants of health and pediatric cancer survival: A systematic review

Despite treatment advancements and improved survival, approximately 1800 children in the United States will die of cancer annually. Survival may depend on nonclinical factors, such as economic stability, neighborhood and built environment, health and health care, social and community context, and education, otherwise known as social determinants of health (SDoH). Extant literature reviews have linked socioeconomic status (SES) and race to disparate outcomes; however, these are not inclusive of all SDoH. Thus, we conducted a systematic review on associations between SDoH and survival in pediatric cancer patients. Of the 854 identified studies, 25 were included in this review. In addition to SES, poverty and insurance coverage were associated with survival. More studies that include other SDoH, such as social and community factors, utilize prospective designs, and conduct analyses with more precise SDoH measures are needed.

Sociodemographics, Health Competence, and Transition Readiness Among Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors

OBJECTIVE

Fewer than one-third of childhood cancer survivors receive follow-up from an adult provider, and adolescent and young adults (AYAs) from structurally minoritized sociodemographic groups often face health disparities that can impact transition to adult-oriented care. The primary aim of this study was to determine the relation among sociodemographic factors, cumulative effects, and transition beliefs/expectations and goals, and the moderating role of health competence beliefs in AYA survivors of childhood cancer.

METHODS

A total of 195 AYAs (aged 15-29) reported sociodemographic information, completed the Transition Readiness Inventory assessing positive beliefs/expectations and goals related to transition, and completed the Health Competence Beliefs Inventory assessing health perceptions, healthcare satisfaction, cognitive competence, and autonomy. A cumulative sociodemographic factor variable was computed to investigate the potential additive effects of multiple sociodemographic factors associated with disparities. T-tests, Pearson correlations, and multivariate linear regressions were used.

RESULTS

Cumulative sociodemographic factors were not related to transition readiness, and insurance type was the only factor associated with health competence beliefs and transition readiness, such that AYAs with public insurance reported lower healthcare satisfaction, cognitive competence, and transition goals relative to those with private insurance. There were no interaction effects; however, health competence beliefs were significantly associated with transition beliefs/expectations and goals.

CONCLUSION

Public insurance is a barrier to holding positive beliefs/expectations and goals about transition, yet other sociodemographic factors associated with risks for poor transfer were not related to transition readiness. Multi-level interventions to reduce disparities and improve transition readiness should target health competence beliefs and barriers created by insurance.

Skin Cancer in People of Color: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

People of African, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, Pacific Islander, and Native Indian descent are considered people of color by the Skin of Color Society (SOCS).

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we assess incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, histopathology, treatment, and survival for skin malignancies in people of color as defined by the SOCS, by systematically reviewing the literature.

METHODS

An electronic literature search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases was performed. Articles published from 1 January 1990 through 12 December 2020 were included in the search.

RESULTS

We identified 2666 publications potentially meeting the study criteria. Titles and abstracts of these studies were reviewed and 2353 were excluded. The full text of 313 articles were evaluated and 251 were included in this review.

CONCLUSION

Differences in incidence, patterns, treatment, and survival exist among people of color for cutaneous malignancies. Further research and initiatives are needed to account for and mitigate these differences.

Demographic and socioeconomic disparities in pediatric cancer in the United States: Current knowledge, deepening understanding, and expanding intervention

While survival of pediatric cancer has improved greatly over the past 40 years, demographic and socioeconomic disparities have meant that some groups have not benefitted as much from these advances. We conducted a rapid review to summarize literature on demographic and socioeconomic disparities in outcomes of childhood cancer, starting in 2000. We find that unequal outcomes have been noted for many of these groups across hematologic malignancies, central nervous system tumors, and other solid tumors, although occasional studies have noted absence of disparities for particular at-risk groups and diseases, and gaps in understanding of disparities for some cancer subtypes and groups still exist. These include disparities in duration of overall survival, risk of death, more extensive disease at presentation, and differences/delays in treatment. Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, lack of private insurance, and adolescent/young adult age are most often associated with these poorer outcomes. We then delve into documented and theorized causes of these disparities, including impaired access to care and clinical trials, differences in cancer biology, treatment non-adherence, language barriers, and implicit racial bias. Here, it is clear that socioeconomic factors account for a large proportion of disparities seen, although not all, and that the causes of disparities are complex and interconnected and still need to be better understood. Finally, in an effort to shift emphasis to addressing disparities, we review interventions against disparities that have been studied in childhood cancer patients and other populations, including improving clinical trial representation, communication, health literacy, and family navigation. We suggest ways forward in disparity mitigation toward a goal of achieving equitable cancer outcomes for all children.

A systematic scoping review of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities in pediatric dermatology

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Health disparities encompass a wide range of personal, societal, environmental, and system-based factors that contribute to inequitable health and health outcomes in vulnerable patient populations. The goal of this work was to scientifically summarize the existing published North American research on disparity as it pertains to pediatric dermatology.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A medical librarian performed electronic searches from multiple electronic databases from their dates of inception to March 2021. Title and abstracts were reviewed by authors, identifying articles for full review. Data on article characteristics and identified disparities were then extracted and collected in a spreadsheet.

RESULTS

Fifty-one articles met final inclusion criteria, of which 25 highlighted disparities due to race/ethnicity, 13 highlighted disparities due to socioeconomic (SES), and 13 highlighted disparities due to both race/ethnicity and SES. The most frequent study designs were cross-sectional or survey, followed by retrospective cohort. Only two were prospective cohort studies. Disparities reported included reduced access to care and medications, increased school absenteeism, reduced knowledge about skin care including sun protection, increased hospitalizations and emergency department visits, and severe and persistent disease in the setting of minority race and poverty, among other indicators.

CONCLUSIONS

There are few, scattered research studies addressing disparity in pediatric dermatology. Greater focus will be needed in the future to improve knowledge of sources of disparity and its detrimental effects on the health of children, to rectify the notable disparity under-reporting of disparity research.

Racial Differences in the Prognosis and Survival of Cutaneous Melanoma From 1990 to 2020 in North America: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Factors influencing the difference in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma in racial minority groups are well-described in the literature and include atypical presentations and socioeconomic factors that impede access to care.

Objective

To characterize the differences in melanoma survival outcomes between non-Hispanic white patients and ethnic minority patients in North America.

Methods

We conducted searches of Embase via Ovid and MEDLINE via Ovid of studies published from 1989 to August 5, 2020. We included observational studies in North America which reported crude or effect estimate data on patient survival with cutaneous melanoma stratified by race.

Results

Forty-four studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Pooled analysis revealed that black patients were at a significantly increased risk for overall mortality (HR 1.42, 95% CI, 1.25-1.60), as well as for melanoma-specific mortality (HR 1.27, 95% CI, 1.03-1.56). Pooled analyses using a representative study for each database yielded similar trends. Other ethnic minorities were also more likely report lower melanoma-specific survival compared to non-Hispanic white patients.

Conclusion

Our results support findings that melanoma patients of ethnic minorities, particularly black patients, experience worse health outcomes with regards to mortality. Overall survival and melanoma-specific survival are significantly decreased in black patients compared to non-Hispanic white patients. With the advent of more effective, contemporary treatments such as immunotherapy, our review identifies a gap in the literature investigating present-day or prospective data on melanoma outcomes, in order to characterize how current racial differences compare to findings from previous decades.

Socioeconomic position and prediagnostic health care contacts in children with cancer in Denmark: a nationwide register study

Background

While underlying mechanisms and pathways of social inequalities in cancer survival have been extensively examined in adults, this is less so for children with cancer. Hypothesized mechanisms include prediagnostic utilization of and navigation through the health care system, which may differ by socioeconomic resources of the families. In this nationwide register-based study we investigated the association between measures of family socioeconomic position in relation to prediagnostic health care contacts and stage of disease at diagnosis in children with cancer in Denmark.

Methods

We identified all children diagnosed with a cancer at ages 0–15 years in 1998–2016 (N = 3043) from the Danish Childhood Cancer Registry. We obtained comprehensive information on measures of socioeconomic position, parental health and prediagnostic contacts to both general practitioners and hospitals 24 months prior to diagnosis from various national registries. We fitted multivariable conditional logistic regression models for the association of family socioeconomic and health-related variables with firstly, frequent health care contacts and secondly, advanced stage.

Results

We found higher odds ratios (OR) of frequent both overall and emergency health care contacts in the last 3 months before diagnosis in children from households with short parental education and mixed affiliation to work market, when compared to children with high family socioeconomic position. Further, children of parents with depression or of non-Western origin, respectively, had higher OR for frequent overall and emergency contacts. We found no association between socioeconomic position, parental health and stage of disease.

Conclusion

Families with socioeconomic disadvantage, non-Western origin or depression more frequently utilize prediagnostic health care services, both generally and in the acute setting, indicating that some disadvantaged families may struggle to navigate the health care system when their child is sick. Reassuringly, this was not reflected in disparities in stage at diagnosis. In order to improve the diagnostic process and potentially reduce health care contacts, attention and support should be given to families with a high number of health care contacts over a short period of time.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08837-x.

Examining the Effect of Travel Distance to Pediatric Cancer Centers and Rurality on Survival and Treatment Experiences: A Systematic Review

Accessing pediatric cancer treatment remains problematic for rural families or those living at increased distances from specialized centers. Rural adult cancer patients or those living far removed from treatment may present with later stage disease, receive different treatments than their closer counterparts, and experience worsened survival. While the financial and psychosocial strain of increased travel is well documented, effects of travel distance on similar outcomes for pediatric cancer patients remain ill-defined. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize literature examining the effect of travel distance and/or rurality (as a proxy for distance) on pediatric cancer treatment experiences and survival outcomes. Included studies examined travel distance to specialized centers or rural status for patients above 21 years of age. Studies were excluded if they focused on financial or quality of life outcomes. We analyzed 24 studies covering myriad malignancies and outcomes, including location of care, clinical trial participation, and likelihood of receiving specialized treatments such as stem cell transplants or proton beam therapy. Most were retrospective, and 9 were conducted outside the United States. While some studies suggest rural patients may experience worsened survival and those traveling furthest may experience shorter hospitalization times/rates, the available evidence does not uniformly assert negative effects of increased distance.

Access to Care and Diagnostic Delays in Juvenile Dermatomyositis: Results From the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Legacy Registry

Objective

To determine factors associated with diagnostic delays and outcomes in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Legacy Registry (CLR).

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of subjects aged 0 to 17 years with JDM enrolled to the CLR from 2010 to 2015. Access to care was measured by calculating the distance from the subject zip code of residence to the treating pediatric rheumatology center and determining the state density of pediatric rheumatologists based on the 2015 American College of Rheumatology Workforce Study. Delay was categorized as early (<30 days), typical (1‐3 months), moderate (3‐12 months), and severe (>12 months). Ordered generalized additive models were used to determine the association between these measures and diagnostic delays.

Results

The median time to diagnosis was 3.1 months; 37.2% of patients experienced moderate delays, and 14.6% experienced severe delays. In a univariate analysis, younger age of disease onset and male sex were associated with delays. Using a generalized additive model accounting for age, sex, race, and ethnicity, increasing distance from treating pediatric rheumatologist and younger age at disease onset were associated with diagnostic delay. There was no association between the state density of rheumatologists and diagnostic delays in this model.

Conclusion

In the CLR, we found moderate to severe diagnostic delays in the majority of subjects with JDM. Our data suggest that access to care, measured as the distance traveled to treating rheumatologist, is an important factor associated with delays in care but also highlight age as a contributing factor, suggesting that JDM may be less recognizable in young children.

Pediatric Melanoma-Diagnosis, Management, and Anticipated Outcomes

Melanoma is the most common skin cancer in children, often presenting in an atypical fashion. The incidence of melanoma in children has been declining. The mainstay of therapy is surgical resection. Sentinel lymph node biopsy often is indicated to guide therapy and determine prognosis. Completion lymph node dissection is recommended in selective cases after positive sentinel lymph node biopsy. Those with advanced disease receive adjuvant systemic treatment. Because children are excluded from melanoma clinical trials, management is based on pediatric retrospective data and adult clinical trials. This review focuses on epidemiology, presentation, surgical management, adjuvant therapy, and outcomes of pediatric melanoma.

Parent's perspectives of the pathway to diagnosis of childhood cancer: a matter of diagnostic triage

BACKGROUND

Early diagnosis is crucial for the treatment of childhood cancer as it in some cases can prevent progression of disease and improve prognoses. However, childhood cancer can be difficult to diagnose and barriers to early diagnosis are multifactorial. New knowledge about factors influencing the pathway to diagnosis contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that influence this time span. Qualitative research in the field is sparse but can be expected to lead to additional useful insights that could contribute to efforts shorten time to diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to explore parents' experiences of the pathway to diagnosis in the time between their noticing bodily or behavioural changes and their child's diagnosis.

METHODS

The study is a qualitative interview study carried out in large Danish hospital. Thirty-two interviews with a total of 46 parents of children with cancer were included for analysis. The children were diagnosed with haematological cancers (n = 17), solid tumours (n = 9) or brain tumours (n = 6). Data were analysed applying the theoretical model of pathways to treatment and an inductive-deductive approach. A revised 'diagnostic triage' model was developed and validated by member checking.

RESULTS

The pathway to diagnosis was influenced by various factors which we present as consistent parts of a new diagnostic triage model. Each factor impacts the level of urgency assigned to bodily and behavioural changes by parents, general practitioners and specialists. The model of diagnostic triage was developed and validated to understand mechanisms influencing time from the point parents notice changes in their child to diagnosis. The model identifies dynamic movement between parental triage in everyday life and professional triage in a healthcare system, both affecting appraisal and case escalation according to: 1) the nature of bodily and behavioural changes, 2) parental intuition, 3) social relations, 4) professional-child-parent interaction, and 5) specialist-child-parent interaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnostic triage is a model which explains mechanisms that shape the pathway to diagnosis. It is a contribution aimed at supporting the clinical diagnostic process, that ultimately could ensure more timely testing, referral and diagnosis, and also a novel theoretical framework for future research on diagnostic pathways.

What's new in pediatric melanoma: An update from the APSA cancer committee

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Melanoma is the most common skin cancer in children and often presents in an atypical fashion when compared to adults. The purpose of this review is to present an update on the epidemiology, surgical and medical management and prevention strategies in pediatric melanoma.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of the current literature on the epidemiology, surgical and medical management and prevention of adult and pediatric melanoma was performed by the authors and the results of this review are summarized in the manuscript.

RESULTS

Most recently, the incidence of melanoma in children has been declining, possibly owing to increased awareness and sun exposure prevention. The mainstay of therapy is surgical resection, often with sentinel lymph node biopsy. A positive sentinel node has prognostic value; however, completion node dissection is no longer recommended in the absence of clinically or radiographically positive nodes. Those with advanced disease also receive adjuvant systemic therapy using increasingly targeted immunologic therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

Sentinel lymph node positive patients no longer require completion lymph node dissection and instead may be followed by ultrasound. However, it is important to note that children have been excluded from most melanoma clinical trials to date, and therefore, recommendations for management are based on existing pediatric retrospective data and extrapolation from adult studies.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities and Survival in Pediatrics with Gliomas Based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database in the United States

BACKGROUND

Gliomas are the most common type of primary central nervous system tumor for both children and adults. However, the influence of racial/ethnic disparities on the survival of children with gliomas has not been fully evaluated yet.

METHODS

Baseline characteristics of patients, including sex, year of diagnosis, surgery, grade, radiation, histology, and races, were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses for overall survival (OS) were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Survival curves were plotted using Kaplan-Meier methods.

RESULTS

A total of 4400 childhood patients were enrolled, including 2516 non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), 1050 Hispanic whites (HWs), 519 blacks, 282 Asians or Pacific Islanders (APIs), and 33 American Indian/Alaska Natives. NHWs had the longest overall survival (OS), whereas blacks had the shortest OS (P = 0.003). Stratified by histologic type, OS of children with astrocytoma was better among NHWs and HWs than among blacks and APIs (P = 0.004). OS of children with ependymoma was better among NHWs and APIs than among HWs and blacks (P = 0.008). However, no significant difference was observed in OS for children with medulloblastoma (P = 0.854).

CONCLUSIONS

Survival outcomes varied significantly by race/ethnicity among childhood gliomas. Better management of childhood gliomas is warranted to close the survival gap between race/ethnicity.

Skin cancer screening in Switzerland: Cross-sectional trends (1997-2012) in socioeconomic inequalities

INTRODUCTION

Skin cancer is one of the most common malignancies. Despite controversy over its efficacy, skin cancer screening has become widespread although socioeconomic screening inequalities have been documented. Switzerland has the highest rate of melanoma in Europe but Swiss trends in skin cancer screening and social disparities have not been investigated. This study aims to evaluate trends in skin cancer screening and its association with socioeconomic indicators in Switzerland between 1997 and 2012.

METHOD

We used data from four waves (from 1997 to 2012) of the population-based Swiss Health Interview Survey. Multivariable Poisson regressions with robust variance were used to estimate weighted prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) adjusting for demographics, health status and use of healthcare.

RESULTS

This study included 60,764 participants with a mean age of 49.1 years (standard deviation (SD) 17.2) and 53.6% of women. Between 1997 and 2012, the weighted prevalence of ever life-time skin examination and skin examination in the current year increased by 38.2% and 35.3% respectively (p-value <0.001). Participants with a lower education level, lower income and living in non-metropolitan areas were less often screened than their counterparts. Educational differences in ever life-time skin examination increased over time (p-value for trend = 0.036).

CONCLUSION

While skin cancer screening prevalence in Switzerland increased from 1997 to 2012, most social inequalities persisted over time and educational inequalities increased. Dermatologists should be alerted that populations with lower education should be given special attention.

Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Cutaneous Melanoma in Skin of Color Patients

Skin cancers are relatively rare in patients with skin of color; however, they are an important public health concern because of disparities in patient outcomes. Gaps in skin cancer knowledge exist because of lack of large-scale studies involving people of color, and limitations in data collection methods and skin classification paradigms. Additional research is needed to address questions regarding risk and reasons for disparate skin cancer outcomes in these patients. We summarize the clinical and epidemiologic features for basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma and touch on some of their unique features in patients with skin of color.

Malignant melanoma incidence among children and adolescents in Texas and SEER 13, 1995-2013

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological knowledge and predictors of melanoma among children and adolescents in multiethnic populations are limited.

PROCEDURE

Using data from the Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 13 database, we identified incident melanoma cases diagnosed at 0-20 years old during 1995-2013 in Texas and the United States, respectively. Using negative binomial regression, associations between demographic factors and melanoma incidence rates (IR) were evaluated by calculating incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Annual percent change in IRs was assessed with joinpoint regression.

RESULTS

Overall, the melanoma IR was 4.16 (TCR, n = 634) and 4.84 (SEER, n = 1260) per million. Females, adolescents, non-Hispanic (NH) whites, and Hispanics had higher IRs compared with other groups (P < 0.05). In adjusted analyses, Hispanics had a higher incidence of melanoma than NH non-whites (Texas IRR = 2.17; 95% CI, 1.30-3.61; SEER IRR = 2.88; 95% CI, 1.97-4.21). In Texas, NH whites with melanoma were more likely to live in low poverty areas, whereas the opposite trend was observed in Hispanics. Melanoma IRs increased throughout 1995-2004 followed by an average annual decrease of 7.6% (95% CI, -12.6%, -2.2%) in Texas and 6.0% (95% CI, -8.5%, -3.4%) in SEER during 2005-2013 (P < 0.05). However, these decreasing trends were not observed among Hispanics or those <10 years old.

CONCLUSION

Although the overall melanoma IR in children and adolescents appears to be decreasing, this trend is not evident among Hispanics and young children, implicating the need for further research investigating the etiologies and risk factors in these groups.

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) in Pediatric Cancer

Objective

Family psychosocial risk screening is an important initial step in delivering evidence-based care and in addressing health disparities. There is currently no validated measure of family psychosocial risk in Spanish. The Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) is a brief parent report screener based on the trilevel Pediatric Preventative Psychosocial Risk Model (PPPHM; Universal, Targeted, and Clinical). The current article validates a Spanish version of the PAT (Version 3.0) in pediatric oncology.

Method

Spanish-speaking Hispanic primary caregivers of 79 children newly diagnosed with cancer participated in this 4-institution multisite investigation, completing Spanish versions of the PAT and validation measures using REDCap.

Results

Over 60% of the sample had a high school or lower level of education and they primarily identified as Hispanic in terms of acculturation. Internal consistency for the total score (KR20 = 0.76) and the Social Support, Child Problems, Sibling Problems, and Family Problems subscales was strong (KR20 = 0.69-0.79). Stress Reactions, Family Structure, and Family Beliefs subscales were lower (KR20 = 0.43-0.55). Moderate to strong correlations with the criteria measures provided validation for the total and subscale scores. Nearly two-thirds of the sample scored in the Targeted or Clinical range of the PPPHM. The PAT was successful in identifying clinical cases.

Conclusions

The Spanish version of the PAT can be used with families of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Elevated psychosocial risks were found and warrant particular attention in providing psychosocial care attentive to the needs of Spanish-speaking families.

Survival After Childhood Cancer-Social Inequalities in High-Income Countries

Despite substantial improvements in survival from childhood cancer during the last decades, there are indications that survival rates for several cancer types are no longer improving. Moreover, evidence accumulates suggesting that socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors may have an impact on survival also in high-income countries. The aim of this review is to summarize the findings from studies on social factors and survival in childhood cancer. Several types of cancer and social factors are included in order to shed light on potential mechanisms and identify particularly affected groups. A literature search conducted in PubMed identified 333 articles published from December 2012 until June 2018, of which 24 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The findings are diverse; some studies found no associations but several indicated a social gradient with higher mortality among children from families of lower socioeconomic status (SES). There were no clear suggestions of particularly vulnerable subgroups, but hematological malignancies were most commonly investigated. A wide range of social factors have been examined and seem to be of different importance and varying between studies. However, potential underlying mechanisms linking a specific social factor to childhood cancer survival was seldom described. This review provides some support for a relationship between lower parental SES and worse survival after childhood cancer, which is a finding that needs further attention. Studies investigating predefined hypotheses involving specific social factors within homogenous cancer types are lacking and would increase the understanding of mechanisms involved, and allow targeted interventions to reduce health inequalities.

A comparative analysis of clinicopathological features and survival among early adolescents/young adults and children with low-grade glioma: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

BACKGROUND

For several types of cancer, biological differences and outcome disparities have been documented in adolescents/young adults (AYAs, 15-39 years old) versus children. This study compared clinicopathological features and survival between younger AYAs and children with low-grade glioma (LGG), a common brain tumor among AYAs.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of Children's Oncology Group legacy study CCG-9891/POG-9130, which enrolled participants 0-21 years of age with newly-diagnosed LGG treated with surgery alone. For analysis, participants were categorized as children (0-14 years old) or early AYAs (eAYAs, 15-21 years old) and compared on demographics, clinical presentation, tumor characteristics, surgical outcomes, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Among 468 children and 50 eAYAs, more eAYAs presented with seizures (34.0% vs. 19.2%; p = 0.015), without other significant differences in clinicopathological features. 5-year PFS rates for children and eAYA were 80.2% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 76.1-83.7) and 83.0% (95% CI 68.8-91.1), respectively; 5-year OS rates were 97.3% (95% CI 95.2-98.5) and 95.4% (95% CI 82.7-98.8), respectively. Multivariable analysis including all participants showed presence of residual tumor to be an independent predictor of PFS (< 1.5 cm³, hazard ratio [HR] 5.93 [95% CI 3.45-10.18]) and (≥ 1.5 cm³, HR 8.38 [95% CI 4.75-14.79]) (p < 0.001), while midline-chiasmatic location (HR 9.69 [95% CI 3.05-30.75], p < 0.001) and non-pilocytic astrocytoma histology (HR 6.77 [95% CI 2.35-19.49], p < 0.001) were independent predictors of OS.

CONCLUSION

Unlike several other cancers, LGG has similar presenting features and survival for both eAYAs and children. This support continuing a unified treatment approach and enrollment of eAYAs in pediatric clinical trials for LGGs.

The impact of racial/ethnic disparities on survival for children and young adults with chest wall sarcoma: A population-based study

BACKGROUND

To determine whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in disease presentation, treatment and survival outcomes among children and young adults with chest wall sarcomas.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was analyzed for patients 21 years old and younger with chest wall sarcoma. We performed multivariate logistic regression to investigate the association of race/ethnicity with advanced stage of disease at presentation and likelihood of undergoing surgical resection. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated using Cox regression modeling to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

A total of 669 patients were identified: 393 non-Hispanic whites (NHW) (59%), 151 Hispanics (23%), 64 non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) (11%), and 64 other race/ethnicity (9%). The 5- and 10-year OS rates for the entire cohort were 69% and 64%, respectively. NHB had significantly worse 5-year and 10-year OS compared to NHW based on the log rank test (61% versus 70%, 52% versus 66%, respectively; p = 0.037).). Most patients (80%) underwent surgical resection. However, NHB were less likely than NHW to undergo surgical resection by multivariate analysis (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.22-0.82).

CONCLUSIONS

NHB children and young adults with chest wall sarcoma have decreased overall survival. In addition, NHB are less likely to undergo surgical resection which may contribute to survival disparities. It is paramount that health care providers work to close the treatment gap between racial/ethnic groups to improve survival in children and young adults with chest wall sarcoma.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III Treatment Study.

An overview of disparities in childhood cancer: Report on the Inaugural Symposium on Childhood Cancer Health Disparities, Houston, Texas, 2016

The Inaugural Symposium on Childhood Cancer Health Disparities was held in Houston, Texas, on November 2, 2016. The symposium was attended by 109 scientists and clinicians from diverse disciplinary backgrounds with interests in pediatric cancer disparities and focused on reviewing our current knowledge of disparities in cancer risk and outcomes for select childhood cancers. Following a full day of topical sessions, everyone participated in a brainstorming session to develop a working strategy for the continued expansion of research in this area. This meeting was designed to serve as a springboard for examination of childhood cancer disparities from a more unified and systematic approach and to enhance awareness of this area of need.

The impact of racial/ethnic disparities on survival for children and adolescents with extremity sarcomas: A population-based study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial/ethnic disparities exist in disease presentation, treatment, and survival among children and adolescents with extremity sarcoma.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data were analyzed for patients <20years old with soft-tissue extremity sarcomas from 1973 to 2013. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the association between race/ethnicity and disease stage at presentation and likelihood of surgical resection. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated using hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

1261 cases were identified: 650 (52%) non-Hispanic whites (NHW), 313 (25%) Hispanics, 182 (14%) non-Hispanic blacks (NHB), and 116 (9%) other race/ethnicity. Logistic regression results showed that Hispanics and NHB were 51% and 44%, respectively, less likely to undergo surgical resection compared to NHW (OR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.30-0.80; OR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.32-0.98, respectively). Factors associated with failure to undergo surgical resection included histology, lower extremity site, tumor size, and distant metastases. OS based on race/ethnicity significantly differed using the log-rank test, with NHB having the worst survival (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that NHB, Hispanics, and other race/ethnicity were less likely to undergo surgical resection for extremity sarcoma. Further work is needed to better characterize and eliminate disparities in the management and outcomes of children with extremity sarcomas.

TYPE OF STUDY

Prognosis study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.