Nathanael R. Fillmore
Publications / 2021
paper
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology2021doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.12.069

Risk factors for thick melanoma among veterans: A cross-sectional study.

Rebecca I. Hartman†, Jennifer La†, Michael S. Chang, David Cheng, Nhan Do, Mary Brophy, Nathanael R. Fillmore

† Equal first authorship

Summary

Regular dermatology visits every 6 to 12 months are associated with a significantly lower likelihood of developing thick melanoma, which is a primary predictor of mortality. These findings suggest that consistent skin screenings may help identify tumors earlier, though significant disparities in melanoma thickness persist among older patients and minority racial and ethnic groups.

Key result

Dermatology visits 6 months (odds ratio [OR] 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.24-0.39) or 12 months (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.31-0.52) before diagnosis were associated with significantly reduced odds of thick melanoma (≥2 mm) among veterans.

Key figure

Key figure from Risk factors for thick melanoma among veterans: A cross-sectional study.