Sun exposure and melanoma survival: A GEM study Journal Article
| Authors: | Berwick, M.; Reiner, A. S.; Paine, S.; Armstrong, B. K.; Kricker, A.; Goumas, C.; Cust, A. E.; Thomas, N. E.; Groben, P. A.; From, L.; Busam, K.; Orlow, I.; Marrett, L. D.; Gallagher, R. P.; Gruber, S. B.; Anton-Culver, H.; Rosso, S.; Zanetti, R.; Kanetsky, P. A.; Dwyer, T.; Venn, A.; Lee-Taylor, J.; Begg, C. B. |
| Article Title: | Sun exposure and melanoma survival: A GEM study |
| Abstract: | Background:Wepreviously reported a significant association between higherUVradiation exposure before diagnosis and greater survival with melanoma in a population-based study in Connecticut. We sought to evaluate the hypothesis that sun exposure before diagnosis was associated with greater survival in a larger, international population-based study with more detailed exposure information. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, international population-based study in four countries-Australia, Italy, Canada, and the United States-with 3,578 cases of melanoma with an average of 7.4 years of follow-up. Measures of sun exposure included sunburn, intermittent exposure, hours of holiday sun exposure, hours of water-related outdoor activities, ambient ultraviolet B (280-320 nm) dose, histologic solar elastosis, and season of diagnosis. Results: Results were not strongly supportive of the earlier hypothesis. Having had any sunburn in 1 year within 10 years of diagnosis was inversely associated with survival; solar elastosis-a measure of lifetime cumulative exposure-was not. In addition, none of the intermittent exposure measures-water-related activities and sunny holidays-were associated with melanoma-specific survival. Estimated ambient UVB dose was not associated with survival. Conclusion: Although there was an apparent protective effect of sunburns within 10 years of diagnosis, there was only weak evidence in this large, international, population-based study of melanoma that sun exposure before diagnosis is associated with greater melanoma-specific survival. Impact: This study adds to the evidence that sun exposure before melanoma diagnosis has little effect on survival with melanoma. |
| Keywords: | cancer survival; major clinical study; united states; cancer patient; radiation dose; follow up; disease association; cancer prevention; melanoma; sun exposure; evidence based practice; population research; cancer specific survival; multicenter study; australia; leisure; ultraviolet b radiation; canada; sunburn; hypothesis; photodermatosis; italy; sunbathing; solar elastosis; elastosis; suntan; human; male; female; article |
| Journal Title: | Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention |
| Volume: | 23 |
| Issue: | 10 |
| ISSN: | 1055-9965 |
| Publisher: | American Association for Cancer Research |
| Date Published: | 2014-10-01 |
| Start Page: | 2145 |
| End Page: | 2152 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-14-0431 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PMCID: | PMC4184941 |
| PUBMED: | 25069694 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Export Date: 3 November 2014 -- Source: Scopus |
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