Intermittent exposure to sunlight is considered to be an important risk factor for melanoma, but the associations reported in most case-control studies are surprisingly weak. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the incorporation of a subject's background exposure to the sun and pigmentation characteristics (which are assumed to influence a person's susceptibility to sunlight exposure) could produce stronger associations between sunlight exposure and the risk for melanoma. A population-based case-control study was performed in the mid-eastern part of the Netherlands. The study group comprised 141 patients with a histologically verified melanoma and 183 controls with other malignancies who were registered by the same cancer registry. Patients with a lentigo maligna melanoma or an acrolentiginous melanoma were excluded. Information was collected by interviews and physical examination. We categorized subjects as indoor or outdoor workers on the basis of occupational exposure to the sun. Pigmentation characteristics, which are known to be risk indicators for cutaneous melanoma, were summarized as one sun sensitivity score. We used this score to distinguish between sun-sensitive and sun-resistant persons. The odds ratios associated with sunbathing, vacations spent in sunny countries, and sunburns were higher among the indoor workers than among the outdoor workers. After stratification by the sun sensitivity score, the effect of sunbathing, participating in water sports (swimming excluded), vacations to sunny countries, and a history of sunburn was largest for the sun-sensitive persons. The data show a general trend toward higher relative risks among indoor workers and sun-sensitive individuals. The results of this study support the intermittent sunlight hypothesis.

A 74-year-old woman had been treated with methotrexate over 2 years for rheumatoid arthritis. She was admitted to the hospital because of non-healing leg ulcers. After being treated with trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole for a urinary-tract infection, she developed severe pancytopenia, followed by pneumonia and septic shock. The patient died shortly after. Concomitant treatment with methotrexate and sulphonamides should be strongly discouraged.

Nijmegen, the Netherlands. We thank J.M. Elwood for permission to use part of the questionnaire developed for the Western Canada Melanoma Study. 252~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Environmental Health Perspectives water pollution a cause of cutaneous melanoma? Epidmioo 3-263-265(1992). ft. This ¶e Eis out Oris it? maS.

No abstract

Incidence of cutaneous melanoma has been increasing rapidly in the past decades and a doubling of incidence every decade has been found.' Exposure to sunlight is considered to be the most