A Prospective Study of Pigmentation, Sun Exposure, and Risk of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma in Women

Background: Although sun exposure is an established cause of cutaneous malignant melanoma, possible interactions with host factors remain incompletely understood. Here we report the first results from a large prospective cohort study of pigmentation factors and sun exposure in relation to melanoma r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:JNCI : Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2003-10, Vol.95 (20), p.1530-1538
Main Authors: Veierød, Marit Bragelien, Weiderpass, Elisabete, Thörn, Magnus, Hansson, Johan, Lund, Eiliv, Armstrong, Bruce, Adami, Hans-Olov
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Confidence Intervals
Dermatology
Eye Color
Female
Hair Color
Humans
Medical research
Medical sciences
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Melanoma - etiology
Middle Aged
Norway
Odds Ratio
Pigmentation
Prospective Studies
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Skin cancer
Skin Neoplasms - etiology
Skin Pigmentation
Sunburn & sun tanning
Sunlight - adverse effects
Sweden
Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions
Women
Women's Health
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Summary:Background: Although sun exposure is an established cause of cutaneous malignant melanoma, possible interactions with host factors remain incompletely understood. Here we report the first results from a large prospective cohort study of pigmentation factors and sun exposure in relation to melanoma risk. Methods: The Women’s Lifestyle and Health Cohort Study included 106 379 women from Norway and Sweden who were aged 30–50 years in 1991 or 1992 when they completed an extensive questionnaire on personal characteristics and exposures. Linkages to national registries ensured complete follow-up through December 31, 1999. Poisson regression models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs). All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: During an average follow-up of 8.1 years, 187 cases of melanoma were diagnosed. Risk of melanoma was statistically significantly associated with increasing body surface area (RR for ⩾1.79 m2 versus ⩽1.61 m2 = 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03 to 2.48; Ptrend = .02), number of large asymmetric nevi on the legs (RR for ⩾7 nevi versus 0 nevi = 5.29, 95% CI = 2.33 to 12.01; Ptrend
ISSN:0027-8874
1460-2105
1460-2105
DOI:10.1093/jnci/djg075