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To examine and compare the temporal trends in melanoma incidence and stage at diagnosis among whites, Hispanics, and blacks in Florida from 1990 to 2004.Cross-sectional and retrospective analysis.Florida Cancer Data System.Melanoma cases with known stage and race/ethnicity reported from 1990 to 2004.Age-adjusted melanoma incidence and stage at diagnosis.Of 41 072 cases of melanoma, 39 670 cases were reported for white non-Hispanics (WNHs), 1148 for white Hispanics (WHs), and 254 for blacks. Melanoma incidence rates increased by 3.0% per year among WNH men (P.001), 3.6% among WNH women (P.001), 3.4% among WH women (P = .01), and 0.9% among WH men (P = .52), while remaining relatively stable among black men and women. Both WHs and blacks had significantly more advanced melanoma at presentation: 18% of WH and 26% of black patients had either regional or distant-stage melanoma at diagnosis compared with 12% of WNH patients. The proportion of distant-stage melanoma diagnosed among WHs and blacks changed little from 1990 to 2004, compared with a steady decrease in the percentage of melanoma cases diagnosed at distant stage among WNHs (P.001). Such differences in the time trends of the proportion of distant-stage melanoma remained after excluding in situ cases.The rising melanoma incidence among WNHs and WHs emphasizes the need for primary prevention. The persistence of disparity in melanoma stage at diagnosis among WHs, blacks, and WNHs warrants closer examination of secondary prevention efforts in minority groups.

To examine skin cancer awareness and behavior in white Hispanic (WH) and white non-Hispanic (WNH) high school students because increasing incidence and delayed diagnosis of skin cancer in the growing Hispanic population in the United States represent an emerging health issue.Pilot survey study.A high school in Miami, Florida.A total of 369 high school students (221 WHs and 148 WNHs) were surveyed in the study.Survey data were collected regarding skin cancer knowledge, perceived risk, and sun protection behaviors. Differences between the 2 groups were compared with chi(2) tests.White Hispanic students were more likely to tan deeply (P = .04) but less likely to have heard of (P.01) or been told how to perform (P.01) skin self-examination. White Hispanics were less likely to wear sun-protective clothing or to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher and reported a greater use of tanning beds. White Hispanic students also thought their chance of developing skin cancer was less than that of WNH students (P.01), which remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, family history, and skin sensitivity to sun. After adjustment, WHs were 2.5 times more likely than WNHs to have used a tanning bed in the past year. White Hispanics were also 60% less likely to have heard of skin self-examination (P.01) and 70% less likely than WNHs to have ever been told to perform the examination (P = .03). White Hispanics are about 1.8 and 2 times more likely to never or rarely wear protective clothing (P.01) and to use sunscreen (P = .01), respectively.There are disparities in knowledge, perceived risk of skin cancer, and sun-protective behaviors among WH and WNH high school students.

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 Conclusion Advanced stage of melanoma diagnosis among Hispanic and black patients suggests suboptimal secondary prevention efforts in minority populations.

Little information exists on the epidemiology of melanoma and the role of solar radiation in the development of melanoma in pigmented populations.To evaluate the relationship between exposure to solar radiation and the incidence of melanoma in US Hispanics and blacks.Population-based ecological study.State cancer registries of New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Texas, and Florida. Subjects Patients with invasive melanoma recorded by cancer registries.We obtained age-adjusted, race/ethnicity- and sex-specific incidence rates of melanoma from similar time periods from the 6 cancer registries. The incidence rates were correlated with the annual mean UV index and the latitude of residency.For both Hispanics and blacks, the incidence of melanoma was positively associated with the UV index and negatively associated with the latitude of residency. Statistically significant correlation between melanoma and the UV index (R = 0.93; P =.01) and latitude (R = -0.80; P =.05) was observed in black males. Hispanics and blacks have a significantly lower incidence of melanoma than whites, with blacks having the lowest rates of melanoma.Exposure to solar radiation appears to play a role in the development of melanoma in both Hispanics and blacks. Sun protection and melanoma risk education should be performed in these populations.