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Nonmelanoma skin cancer history in whites tied to increased risk for other malignancies

White patients with histories of nonmelanoma skin cancer had an increased risk for subsequent malignancies, including melanoma and breast and lung cancers in women and melanoma in men, according to recent study results.

In a prospective study to examine the risk for primary cancer based on history of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), researchers reviewed the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), which enrolled 51,529 US male health professionals (aged 40 to 75 years) in 1986, and the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), which enrolled 121,700 US female nurses (aged 30 to 55 years) in 1976. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire about lifestyle, diet and medical history; follow-up questionnaires were used to update information biennially.

There were 36,102 new cases of NMSC and 29,447 new cases of other primary cancers from 1984 through 2008 for white NHS participants and from 1986 through 2008 for white HPFS participants. Men (RR=1.11; 95% CI; 1.05-1.18) and women (RR=1.20; 95% CI, 1.15-1.25) with a history of NMSC had strong associations with a higher risk for other primary cancers excluding melanoma.

Using Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (n=28) for individual cancer sites, a history of NMSC in men was significantly associated with increased melanoma risk (RR=1.99; age-standardized absolute risk [AR]=116 per 100,000 person-years; P<.0018). An increased risk for breast cancer (RR=1.19; AR=87 per 100,000 person-years), lung cancer (RR=1.32; AR=22 per 100,000 person-years) and melanoma (RR=2.58; AR=79 per 100,000 person-years) was significantly associated with women having a history of NMSC (P<.0018 for all).

“These findings suggest that there is a modestly increased risk of subsequent malignancies among white individuals with a history of NMSC,” the researchers concluded. “The findings reported here should be interpreted cautiously and do not suggest that individuals who have had NMSC should undergo increased cancer surveillance. These findings do, however, support the need for continued investigation of the apparent relationship between NMSC and subsequent cancers.”

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of relevant disclosures.