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UV index associated with melanoma incidence in males
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Ambient ultraviolet light exposure index was associated with cutaneous melanoma incidence in males, but not in females, according to recent study results published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
“The causation of melanomagenesis remains under debate, especially the role of ultraviolet radiation, which is the major known environmental risk factor for [cutaneous melanoma] and nonmelanoma skin cancer.” Feng Liu-Smith, PhD, assistant professor from the department of epidemiology at University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. “The purpose of our current study is to understand the heterogeneous etiologic factors that may contribute to sex and age differences in [cutaneous melanoma].”
The researchers evaluated if UV radiation impacts the cutaneous melanoma incidence differentially in men and women by analyzing the association between UV index and sex-and age-specific rates. They collected cutaneous melanoma data and daily UV index from 31 cancer registries in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and select European countries for association analysis, and used a second dataset from 42 U.S. states for validation.
Liu-Smith and colleagues found no association between female cutaneous melanoma rates and levels of UV index. However, they found significant association between male rates and UV index (P = .0003), and in the overall rate across both sexes (P = .005).
The researchers calculated the 5-year age-specific rates for each registry for each sex and found rates of UV index association levels increased with age among men (P = .006), but remained unchanged in women. Investigators validated the significant-rate UVI association with cutaneous melanoma in men (P = .02) and the non-association in women in a population of white residents of the United States. The rate across both sexes in the validation cohort was not significant.
“The underlying mechanisms as to why women did not show an association with UV index is likely complex, reflecting either differences in sun behavior, physiologic differences, or both,” Liu-Smith and associates wrote. “Our results reveal a previously underappreciated area of sex-specific causative factors in melanoma development, which may potentially lead to novel sex-specific research on etiology and possibly preventive strategies in the future.” – by Savannah Demko
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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