Melanoma in young children may be biologically distinct from that in teens

 

Pediatric melanomas appear to be more progressive in adolescents than in young children, based on data from a retrospective study of 32 cases.

Few young children with melanoma die, despite a greater likelihood of thicker tumors, lymph node metastasis, and later diagnosis, which suggests that melanoma in young children may be biologically distinct from melanoma in adolescents, wrote Diana W. Bartenstein, of Harvard University Medical School, Boston, and her colleagues.

Dlumen/Thinkstock

In a study published in Pediatric Dermatology, the researchers reviewed data from 12 children younger than 11 years and 20 adolescents aged 11-19 years diagnosed with melanoma who were seen at a single center between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 21, 2016. The children ranged in age from 3.3 to 19.5 years.

Overall, significantly more children than adolescents had spitzoid melanoma (50% vs. 10%, P = .01). In addition, children were more likely than adolescents to present with stage 3 or 4 cancer (58% vs. 25%) and with Clark level IV and V tumors (42% vs. 35%), although these differences were not significant. The median Breslow thickness of lesions was greater in children than in adolescents (3.5 mm vs. 1.5 mm) as was the median mitotic index (5 mitotic figures per mm² vs. 2 mitotic figures per mm²) and children were more likely than adolescents to have neural invasion, but these differences were not significant either.

 

During the study period of more than 20 years, none of the children younger than 11 years died, compared with four deaths in adolescents, a statistically significant difference (P = .04). The follow-up for surviving individuals ranged from 9-37 months with a median of 44 months.

The study findings were limited by several factors including the small sample size and difficulty in assessing spitzoid tumors, the researchers noted.

However, “these results support the hypothesis that melanoma in young children may be biologically distinct from melanoma in adults,” they said. “Alternatively, melanoma subtype may drive survival differences between children and adolescents.”

No conflicts of interest were reported. The study was supported by the Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship and the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance.

SOURCE: Bartenstein DW et al. Pediatr Dermatol. 2018 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/pde.13454.

 

Pediatric melanomas appear to be more progressive in adolescents than in young children, based on data from a retrospective study of 32 cases.

Few young children with melanoma die, despite a greater likelihood of thicker tumors, lymph node metastasis, and later diagnosis, which suggests that melanoma in young children may be biologically distinct from melanoma in adolescents, wrote Diana W. Bartenstein, of Harvard University Medical School, Boston, and her colleagues.

Dlumen/Thinkstock

In a study published in Pediatric Dermatology, the researchers reviewed data from 12 children younger than 11 years and 20 adolescents aged 11-19 years diagnosed with melanoma who were seen at a single center between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 21, 2016. The children ranged in age from 3.3 to 19.5 years.

Overall, significantly more children than adolescents had spitzoid melanoma (50% vs. 10%, P = .01). In addition, children were more likely than adolescents to present with stage 3 or 4 cancer (58% vs. 25%) and with Clark level IV and V tumors (42% vs. 35%), although these differences were not significant. The median Breslow thickness of lesions was greater in children than in adolescents (3.5 mm vs. 1.5 mm) as was the median mitotic index (5 mitotic figures per mm² vs. 2 mitotic figures per mm²) and children were more likely than adolescents to have neural invasion, but these differences were not significant either.

 

During the study period of more than 20 years, none of the children younger than 11 years died, compared with four deaths in adolescents, a statistically significant difference (P = .04). The follow-up for surviving individuals ranged from 9-37 months with a median of 44 months.

The study findings were limited by several factors including the small sample size and difficulty in assessing spitzoid tumors, the researchers noted.

However, “these results support the hypothesis that melanoma in young children may be biologically distinct from melanoma in adults,” they said. “Alternatively, melanoma subtype may drive survival differences between children and adolescents.”

No conflicts of interest were reported. The study was supported by the Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship and the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance.

SOURCE: Bartenstein DW et al. Pediatr Dermatol. 2018 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/pde.13454.

 

Pediatric melanomas appear to be more progressive in adolescents than in young children, based on data from a retrospective study of 32 cases.

Few young children with melanoma die, despite a greater likelihood of thicker tumors, lymph node metastasis, and later diagnosis, which suggests that melanoma in young children may be biologically distinct from melanoma in adolescents, wrote Diana W. Bartenstein, of Harvard University Medical School, Boston, and her colleagues.

Dlumen/Thinkstock

In a study published in Pediatric Dermatology, the researchers reviewed data from 12 children younger than 11 years and 20 adolescents aged 11-19 years diagnosed with melanoma who were seen at a single center between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 21, 2016. The children ranged in age from 3.3 to 19.5 years.

Overall, significantly more children than adolescents had spitzoid melanoma (50% vs. 10%, P = .01). In addition, children were more likely than adolescents to present with stage 3 or 4 cancer (58% vs. 25%) and with Clark level IV and V tumors (42% vs. 35%), although these differences were not significant. The median Breslow thickness of lesions was greater in children than in adolescents (3.5 mm vs. 1.5 mm) as was the median mitotic index (5 mitotic figures per mm² vs. 2 mitotic figures per mm²) and children were more likely than adolescents to have neural invasion, but these differences were not significant either.

 

During the study period of more than 20 years, none of the children younger than 11 years died, compared with four deaths in adolescents, a statistically significant difference (P = .04). The follow-up for surviving individuals ranged from 9-37 months with a median of 44 months.

The study findings were limited by several factors including the small sample size and difficulty in assessing spitzoid tumors, the researchers noted.

However, “these results support the hypothesis that melanoma in young children may be biologically distinct from melanoma in adults,” they said. “Alternatively, melanoma subtype may drive survival differences between children and adolescents.”

No conflicts of interest were reported. The study was supported by the Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship and the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance.

SOURCE: Bartenstein DW et al. Pediatr Dermatol. 2018 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/pde.13454.