Socioeconomic status and survival for patients with melanoma in the United States: An NCDB analysis

BACKGROUND: The importance of socioeconomic factors and healthcare treatment and outcomes for lower income patients is tremendous, affecting not only those afflicted by poverty and decreased quality of care but also physicians, healthcare professionals, and society at large. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was used to identify 80,907 patients with stage 0-4 melanoma and analyze variables to track patterns in survival and outcome. RESULTS: This study demonstrates that disparities in income, insurance status, and education affects treatment and survival rates across all stages of melanoma and seeks to establish further understanding surrounding socioeconomic factors and quality of healthcare in America. CONCLUSION: Through investigation and analysis, the goal of this study is to highlight how the existing socioeconomic gap in America impacts the quality of treatment and survival in patients diagnosed with melanoma.