Cutaneous malignancies in Indigenous Peoples of urban Sydney.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Retrospective case series without a control group.
PubMed 30447047 · doi:10.1111/1754-9485.12832
What was done
Researchers conducted a retrospective case series of 22 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander patients presenting to two urban cancer therapy centres in Sydney between 2003 and 2017 for management of cutaneous malignancies. Risk factors, tumour characteristics, and clinical outcomes were evaluated.
What was found
Among 22 patients, the median age was 61 years, 63.6% were male, and 86.4% had skin phototype III. Malignancies included basal cell carcinoma (50%), squamous cell carcinoma (31.8%), melanoma (9.1%), and cutaneous sarcomas (9.1%). Immunosuppression was present in 45.5%, and 68.2% presented with stage II or higher disease. At reporting, 68.2% of patients were alive, 18.2% had died from their skin cancers, and 13.6% had died from unrelated causes.
Why it matters
This study provides initial observational data on cutaneous malignancies in urban Indigenous Australians, indicating late-stage presentation and notable cancer-specific mortality for potentially treatable skin cancers.
Limits
The study is limited by a small sample size (n = 22), retrospective collection over a 14-year period, potential selection bias from specialized cancer centre referral, and the lack of a comparator group.
Cited by
- contradicts Indigenous Australians (Aborigines) do not get skin cancer.