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.