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Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma

Westerdahl, J LU ; Ingvar, C LU ; Mâsbäck, A LU and Olsson, Håkan LU orcid (2000) In International Journal of Cancer 87(1). p.145-150
Abstract

In a new population-based, matched, case-control study from southern Sweden of 571 patients with a first diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma, between 1995 and 1997, and 913 healthy controls aged 16 to 80 years, the association between sunscreen use and malignant melanoma was evaluated. The median sun protection factor (SPF) used by both cases and controls was 6, range 2 to 25. Sunscreen users reported greater sun exposure than non-users. Persons who used sunscreens did not have a decreased risk of malignant melanoma. Instead, a significantly elevated odds ratio (OR) for developing malignant melanoma after regular sunscreen use was found, adjusted for history of sunburns, hair color, frequency of sunbathing during the summer, and... (More)

In a new population-based, matched, case-control study from southern Sweden of 571 patients with a first diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma, between 1995 and 1997, and 913 healthy controls aged 16 to 80 years, the association between sunscreen use and malignant melanoma was evaluated. The median sun protection factor (SPF) used by both cases and controls was 6, range 2 to 25. Sunscreen users reported greater sun exposure than non-users. Persons who used sunscreens did not have a decreased risk of malignant melanoma. Instead, a significantly elevated odds ratio (OR) for developing malignant melanoma after regular sunscreen use was found, adjusted for history of sunburns, hair color, frequency of sunbathing during the summer, and duration of each sunbathing occasion ¿OR = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.9]. The OR was higher in subjects who reported that sunscreen use enabled them to spend more time sunbathing (adjusted OR = 8.7, 95% CI 1.0-75.8 for always vs. never use). The association appeared to hold for subjects who did not suffer from sunburns while using sunscreens, for subjects who used SPF of 10 or lower, and among men. The pattern of a significantly increased melanoma risk was seen only for lesions of the trunk. Our results are probably related mainly to earlier sunscreens of low SPF. They substantiate the hypothesis that sunscreen use, by permitting more time sunbathing, is associated with melanoma occurrence.

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author
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Case-Control Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Melanoma, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Phenotype, Risk, Skin Neoplasms, Sunscreening Agents, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sweden
in
International Journal of Cancer
volume
87
issue
1
pages
145 - 150
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:10861466
  • scopus:0034084044
ISSN
0020-7136
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cebb165c-ca8f-4176-a288-0688b8e06f79
date added to LUP
2016-09-18 12:29:07
date last changed
2024-03-22 07:47:38
@article{cebb165c-ca8f-4176-a288-0688b8e06f79,
  abstract     = {{<p>In a new population-based, matched, case-control study from southern Sweden of 571 patients with a first diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma, between 1995 and 1997, and 913 healthy controls aged 16 to 80 years, the association between sunscreen use and malignant melanoma was evaluated. The median sun protection factor (SPF) used by both cases and controls was 6, range 2 to 25. Sunscreen users reported greater sun exposure than non-users. Persons who used sunscreens did not have a decreased risk of malignant melanoma. Instead, a significantly elevated odds ratio (OR) for developing malignant melanoma after regular sunscreen use was found, adjusted for history of sunburns, hair color, frequency of sunbathing during the summer, and duration of each sunbathing occasion ¿OR = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.9]. The OR was higher in subjects who reported that sunscreen use enabled them to spend more time sunbathing (adjusted OR = 8.7, 95% CI 1.0-75.8 for always vs. never use). The association appeared to hold for subjects who did not suffer from sunburns while using sunscreens, for subjects who used SPF of 10 or lower, and among men. The pattern of a significantly increased melanoma risk was seen only for lesions of the trunk. Our results are probably related mainly to earlier sunscreens of low SPF. They substantiate the hypothesis that sunscreen use, by permitting more time sunbathing, is associated with melanoma occurrence.</p>}},
  author       = {{Westerdahl, J and Ingvar, C and Mâsbäck, A and Olsson, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{0020-7136}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Melanoma; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Phenotype; Risk; Skin Neoplasms; Sunscreening Agents; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{145--150}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma}},
  volume       = {{87}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}