ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is paucity of data on how gender impacts melanoma prognosis in pediatric and adolescent patients. OBJECTIVES: This study explores gender differences in presentation and survival among pediatric and adolescent patients with melanoma. METHODS: The National Cancer Database 2004-2018 was queried for cases of primary invasive cutaneous melanoma in pediatric and adolescent patients (birth to 21 years) for a retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: Of the 4645 cases, 63.4% were female. Median Breslow depth was 1.05 mm for males (interquartile range 0.50-2.31) and 0.80 mm for females (interquartile range 0.40-1.67; P < .001). Trunk was the most common primary site for females (34.3%) and males (32.9%). More females than males were diagnosed with stage I disease (67.8% vs 53.6%). Males had higher rates of regional lymph node positivity (27.9% vs 18.1%; P < .001) and ulceration (17.1% vs 11.4%; P < .001). Five-year overall survival was 95.9% for females and 92.0% for males (P < .001). After adjusting for confounders, male gender independently increased mortality risk (reference: females; adjusted hazard ratio 1.57; 95% confidence interval 1.32-1.86). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study. CONCLUSION: Males exhibited more aggressive pathologic features including greater Breslow thickness and higher ulceration and lymph node positivity rates. Male gender independently increased mortality risk.
Subject(s)
Melanoma , Skin Neoplasms , Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Child , Melanoma/pathology , Retrospective Studies , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Sex Factors , Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy , PrognosisSubject(s)
Physicians , Traction , Humans , Alopecia/diagnosis , Alopecia/etiology , Alopecia/therapySubject(s)
Melanoma , Racial Groups , Humans , Female , United States , Retrospective Studies , Ethnicity , Minority GroupsSubject(s)
Dermatology , Internship and Residency , Medicine , Students, Medical , Humans , United States , Cross-Sectional Studies , Dermatology/education , Minority GroupsSubject(s)
Melanoma , Skin Neoplasms , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Sex Factors , Cohort StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The goal of this study was to evaluate any association between aortic valve disease and obesity using a very large database. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was utilized for statistical analysis using ICD-9 codes for aortic valve disease and obesity in the United States from 2003 to 2007. A 25% random sample of nonobese patients was used for comparison of aortic valve disease prevalence during the same 5-year period. RESULTS: A total of 1,971,812 patients with obesity were identified from 2003 to 2007. Comparing this population with a random sample of nonobese patients during the same years, there was no significant difference between obese and nonobese patients in regards to the prevalence of aortic valve disease (1.1-1.2% in 2003 and 2004, 1.2% in 2005-2007, P = NS). After adjusting for age, gender, and race, obesity was associated with lower prevalence of aortic valve disease in 2003-2007 (odds ratio 0.81-0.86, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Using a very large database, we found a decrease in the prevalence of aortic valve disease in the obese population. This suggests that obesity alone does not pathologically affect the aortic valve.