MELANOMA IN A SOUTHEASTERN HISPANIC POPULATION

A descriptive analysis was performed of the Tumor Registry data for ma lignant melanoma in Hispanics ascertained by the Jackson Memorial Hosp ital (JMH), University of Miami School of Medicine Tumor Registry. A t otal of 54 cases of melanoma in Hispanics was collected and reviewed. Most of the lesions of melanoma occurred on the trunk, arm, shoulder, leg, and hip. Seventy percent of the Hispanics presented with local st age disease; 26% presented with both regional and distant disease. Loc al stage had the best 5-year survival (87%). In regional and distant d isease combined, the survival was better for Hispanics than non-Hispan ics (p = 0.01). In addition, it was found that the Hispanics in the ov er 50-year-old age group did better than the non-Hispanics in the same group (p = 0.05). Comparison of survival between Hispanic males and f emales shows that Hispanic females have a 5-year survival of 86% compa red to 56% for Hispanic males (p = 0.017).