Host Characteristics and Risk of Incident Melanoma by Breslow Thickness

Overview

Journal Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev

Specialties Biochemistry
Oncology
Public Health

Date 2018 Oct 21

PMID 30341099

Citations 7

Authors

Wen-Qing Li

Eunyoung Cho

Shaowei Wu

Suyun Li

Natalie H Matthews

Abrar A Qureshi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Several host characteristics, including pigmentary traits (hair color, sunburn susceptibility and tanning ability), number of common nevi (moles), and family history of melanoma, have been associated with risk of melanoma.

Methods: We prospectively examined the associations between host characteristics and risk of incident melanoma by Breslow thickness (≤1 mm, thin melanoma; or >1 mm, "thicker melanoma") based on the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, = 86,380 women), NHS II ( = 104,100 women), and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS, = 46,934 men).

Results: During 22-30 years' follow-up, a total of 1,813 incident melanoma cases were identified with information on Breslow thickness, 1,392 (76.8%) of which had thin melanoma. No significant differences were observed for thin and thicker melanoma in associations with hair color, sunburn susceptibility, and tanning ability. However, we found significant differences for the association with family history of melanoma, with a higher risk estimate for thicker melanoma [HR = 2.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.91-3.42] than thin melanoma (HR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.21-2.08; = 0.02). Interestingly, women and men displayed differential associations between nevi count and risk of melanoma by Breslow thickness, with the association appearing stronger for thicker melanoma than thin melanoma in men ( = 0.01), but not in women.

Conclusions: Individuals with family history of melanoma may be more likely to develop thicker melanoma. Men with high number of common nevi may tend to develop thicker melanoma, which was not found for women.

Impact: The findings further stress the risk of thicker melanoma for individuals with a family history of melanoma and men with a high nevi count.

Citing Articles

Melanoma in Northwestern Romania: An Analysis of Epidemiological and Histopathological Characteristics and Associated Risk Factors.

Apostu A, Ungureanu L, Piciu A, Vesa S, Halmagyi S, Trufin I J Clin Med. 2025; 14(3).

PMID: 39941617 PMC: 11818667. DOI: 10.3390/jcm14030946.

Nevus Count, Pigmentary Characteristics, and Melanoma-specific Mortality among Norwegian Women with Melanoma >1.0 mm Thick.

Ahimbisibwe A, Valberg M, Green A, Ghiasvand R, Rueegg C, Rimal R Acta Derm Venereol. 2023; 103:adv4403.

PMID: 37014267 PMC: 10108620. DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v103.4403.

Role of Occupation in Shaping Cancer Disparities.

Collatuzzo G, Teglia F, Boffetta P Cancers (Basel). 2022; 14(17).

PMID: 36077790 PMC: 9454748. DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174259.

Phenotypic Characteristics and Melanoma Thickness in Women.

Ghiasvand R, Green A, Sandanger T, Weiderpass E, Robsahm T, Veierod M Acta Derm Venereol. 2021; 101(4):adv00446.

PMID: 33880571 PMC: 9364249. DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3806.

Germline variants are associated with increased primary melanoma tumor thickness at diagnosis.

Mangantig E, Macgregor S, Iles M, Scolyer R, Cust A, Hayward N Hum Mol Genet. 2021; 29(21):3578-3587.

PMID: 33410475 PMC: 7788289. DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa222.

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