Risk factors for cardiovascular mortality and melanoma-specific mortality among patients with melanoma: a SEER based study

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to identify the risk factors for cardiovascular mortality in melanoma patients.

Methods: Data of melanoma patients were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. We used Person's chi-square test to assess the relationships between categorical variables. We used Kaplan-Meier test in the univariate analysis and Cox regression test for the multivariate analysis. Analyses were conducted using the SPSS software.

Results: We analyzed data of 194 503 melanoma patients. Among them, 28 818 (14.8 %) died due to cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular-specific survival was higher in younger patients, women, married, localized disease, superficial spreading melanoma and in patients who had surgery. It was lower in patients who received chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The multivariate analysis revealed a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients aged 50-64 years [hazard ratio (HR), 7.297; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.68-7.97], patients aged ≥65 years (HR, 43.309; 95% CI, 39.706-47.240), men (HR, 1.535; 95% CI, 1.475-1.597), Blacks (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.044-1.594), separated (HR, 1.286; 95% CI, 1.058-1.562), widowed (HR, 1.829; 95% CI, 1.706-1.961), patients with no or unknown history of chemotherapy (HR, 1.302; 95% CI, 1.071-1.583) or radiotherapy (HR, 1.477; 95% CI, 1.217-1.793) and patients with no surgery (HR, 1.468; 95% CI, 1.264-1.706).

Conclusions: In patients with melanoma, the risk of cardiovascular death is higher in older patients, men, Blacks, separated, widowed and patients with nodular or lentigo maligna melanoma. The risk is lower in married, patients with superficial spreading or acral lentiginous melanoma, and patients who had chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery.