Temporal trends and unbalanced distribution, in pediatric cutaneous melanoma in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is a rare occurrence in the pediatric population and suffers from a dearth of epidemiological data. This study aims to estimate the distribution and temporal trends of pediatric CM. Data specific to the pediatric (<20 years old) CM were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019, stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and WHO region. The data encompassed incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) representing the years of healthy life lost due to a pediatric CM diagnosis. Join point regression analysis and Quality of care index (QCI) were computed. In 2019, the global age-standardized incidence, mortality, and DALYs rates of pediatric CM were estimated at 0.13, 0.02, and 1.46 per 100,000 population, respectively. From 1990 to 2010, an increase in incidence was noted (0.95, 95% UI: 0.89 to 1.02), while mortality (-0.62, 95% UI: -0.71 to -0.53) and DALYs (-0.58, 95% UI: -0.67 to -0.50) exhibited a decline. The global QCI for pediatric melanoma in 2019 was 87, while Somalia was noted to have the lowest QCI (16). The incidence rate was predominantly observed in European regions and high SDI regions, whereas the disease burden was more pronounced in low SDI region and Africa regions. An age-related discrepancy was noted with pediatric CM being higher and more broadly distributed among western countries in children above the age of ten. This study highlights that pediatric CM remains rare but has a disproportionate global distribution, warranting targeted strategies to tackle this issue.