Early-life sun exposure and risk of melanoma before age 40 years

• DOI: 10.1007/s10552-011-9762-3
• Publication Date: 2011-04-06T14:06:16Z
• Authors: Anne E. Cust; Mark A. Jenkins; Chris Goumas; Bruce K. Armstrong; Helen Schmid; Joanne F. Aitken; Graham G. Giles; Richard F. Kefford; John L. Hopper; Graham J. Mann
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Skin Neoplasms; Time Factors; Adolescent; Sun exposure; Ultraviolet Rays; 150; Sunburn; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Risk Factors; Humans; 1306 Cancer Research; Family; Age of Onset; Melanoma; Early-onset; Age Factors; Environmental Exposure; 3. Good health; Case-Control Studies; 2730 Oncology; Female; Solar System

To examine associations between early-life sun exposure and risk of invasive cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between ages 18 and 39 years.Data were analysed from 606 cases and 481 controls from the Australian Melanoma Family Study, a population-based, case-control-family study. Self- and parent-reported sun exposure was collected by interview. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders.Self-reported childhood total sun exposure was not associated with melanoma overall, but was positively associated with melanoma diagnosed at 18-29 years of age (OR for highest vs. lowest quartile: 3.21, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.38-7.44; P (trend) 0.02; P (interaction) by age group 0.09). Analyses restricted to participants whose self-reported sun exposure was concordant with that recalled by their parents gave an OR for the highest versus lowest tertile of childhood total sun exposure of 2.28 (95% CI 1.03-5.04; P (trend) 0.05), and for any versus no severe childhood sunburn of 2.36 (95% CI 1.05-5.31). The association of self-reported severe sunburn with melanoma was evident only in people who tended to tan rather than burn and in people who had few nevi.The association of early-life sun exposure with early-onset melanoma is influenced by host factors.