Premium
A unique gender difference in early onset melanoma implies that in addition to ultraviolet light exposure other causative factors are important
Author(s) -
Liu Feng,
Bessonova Leona,
Taylor Thomas H.,
Ziogas Argyrios,
Meyskens Frank L.,
AntonCulver Hoda
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pigment cell and melanoma research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1755-148X
pISSN - 1755-1471
DOI - 10.1111/pcmr.12035
Subject(s) - incidence (geometry) , medicine , melanoma , age groups , skin cancer , ultraviolet radiation , significant difference , demography , cancer , cancer research , chemistry , physics , sociology , optics , radiochemistry
Summary Using US SEER 17 R egistry data, age‐specific melanoma incidence rates were calculated and comparisons were made between males and females. Relative R isk ( RR ) for males and females in each age group was computed and compared with that from N ordic C ancer R egistry data set and to that for non‐melanoma skin cancer ( NMSC ). For age groups 44 and younger, females showed higher incidence rates, with a peak difference at age 20–24 ( RR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.21–3.33). Males exhibited higher incidence rates after age 44. The same bimodal gender difference was confirmed by the N ordic C ancer R egistry data set, but it was not observed for NMSC , which is known to be strongly associated with cumulative exposure to solar UV radiation. We conclude that exposure to solar ultraviolet ( UV ) radiation is the major causative factor for melanoma at older age (>44 yr), but that other factors may play a role in early onset melanomas, particularly in females.