Non-melanoma skin cancer associated with higher exfoliation glaucoma risk
A greater risk for exfoliation glaucoma was associated with any history of non-melanoma skin cancer, according to a study.
The 39% increased risk was seen regardless of 4- and 8-year lags in NMSC history.
Data for 120,307 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professional Follow-up Study (HPFS) with at least 25 years of follow-up were included. Jae H. Kang, ScD, and colleagues identified 362 incident exfoliative glaucoma (XFG) cases in the NHS and 83 in the HPFS. Of the total person-time, NMSC was prevalent in greater than 10% of the cohort, with 9% characterized with a history of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 0.6% with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 3.3% with early reported combined NMSC.
Researchers noted the association between NMSC and XFG was significantly stronger in participants younger than 65 years compared with those who were older than 65 years (P = .01). The association was also stronger in those whose lifetime residential history was in northern latitudes. Furthermore, participants with NMSC history living in areas with greater ambient erythemal UV exposure had a stronger association with XFG compared with those living in areas with lower UV exposure.
“If confirmed, our results would provide further support for greater eye protection on sunny days and regular eye exams for those 40-plus years of age, particularly those with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer,” Kang told Healio/OSN.
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