Stage IV melanoma of unknown primary: A population-based study in the United States from 1973 to 2014.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) is incompletely described on a population level.

Objective

We sought to characterize stage IV MUP in a population-based cancer registry.

Methods

We developed a novel search algorithm to identify cases of stage IV MUP in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 registries from 1973 to 2014. Cases of stage IV melanoma of known primary (MKP) served as a comparison group. Age-standardized incidence rates, demographic characteristics, adjusted disease-specific survival, and Cox proportional hazard models were calculated for MUP and MKP.

Results

A total of 322 stage IV MUP cases and 12,796 stage IV MKP cases were identified in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 registries from 1973 to 2014. The incide

SUBMITTER: Scott JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6050094 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature