Cutaneous melanoma and sunburns in childhood in a southern European population.
A population-based case-control study of 260 patients (74 males and 186 females, mean age = 56) with cutaneous malignant melanoma and 416 controls (211 males and 205 females, mean age = 55) was conducted in Turin, north-west Italy, to examine the relation between timing of sunburns and sun exposure and melanoma risk within a southern European population, which is still relatively little investigated. Particularly elevated risk was associated with history of sunburns in childhood [odds ratio 5.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.6-9.5], and such risk elevation persisted after allowance for other major melanoma risk covariates. Conversely, risk increase from history of severe sunburns lifelong was lower (odds ratio = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-2.4) and was eliminated by allowance for type of skin reaction to sun exposure and history of sunburns in childhood. A significant increase in the risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma was also associated with number of weeks spent on holiday at the beach not only as an adult, but also as a child.
Zanetti
R
R
Piemonte Cancer Registry, Turin, Italy.
Franceschi
S
S
Rosso
S
S
Colonna
S
S
Bidoli
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013471:Sunburn / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors