Environmental exposure to trace elements and risk of cutaneous melanoma.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to examine the risk of melanoma in association with exposure to trace elements of toxicological and nutritional interest.


METHODS
We analyzed the concentrations of cadmium, lead, chromium, selenium, copper and zinc in toenails of 58 patients with newly diagnosed cutaneous melanoma as well as in 58 age- and sex-matched control subjects, randomly selected from the population of Modena province in northern Italy.


RESULTS
Melanoma risk was substantially unrelated to toenail levels of cadmium, chromium, lead and selenium. Subjects with higher toenail copper levels showed an excess risk, both in the crude analysis and after adjusting for sun exposure and level of education, while in both analyses high iron concentrations were associated with a decreased risk of the disease. A weak direct association between zinc levels and melanoma risk also emerged in the multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, these results do not suggest an involvement of heavy metals in melanoma etiology, while they do give some support to a possible role of zinc and, in particular, copper and iron exposure in influencing disease risk. However, these findings must be evaluated with caution due to the limited statistical stability of the point estimates.
Vinceti
Marco
M
Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Biostatistics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy. marco.vinceti@unimore.it
Bassissi
Stefania
S
Malagoli
Carlotta
C
Pellacani
Giovanni
G
Alber
Dorothea
D
Bergomi
Margherita
M
Seidenari
Stefania
S
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D000075322:Heavy Metal Poisoning; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009262:Nails / Q000737:chemistry; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014131:Trace Elements
D014131:Trace Elements