title: Is phototherapy in neonates a risk factor for malignant melanoma development?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether phototherapy of the newborn's sensitive skin could be a risk factor for malignant melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study from 1973 to 1992.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Swedish Medical Birth Registry and the Swedish Cancer Registry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty cases of childhood malignant melanoma and 120 matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data in birth and cancer reports and from death certificates in Sweden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the patients with childhood malignant melanoma had received phototherapy, in comparison with 11 of the controls. This difference was not significant (P = .08; Fisher exact test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary report shows no significant risk of developing childhood malignant melanoma after phototherapy of the skin in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. However, the median follow-up time was only 18 years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lindelöf
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006932:Hyperbilirubinemia / Q000628:therapy; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology