Epidemiology of malignant melanoma

Desmond, Reneé A.; Soong, Seng‐Jaw

doi:10.1016/s0039-6109(02)00092-0

Cited by 94 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…This observation has prompted the search for environmental risk factors of the disease and apart from the effect of ultraviolet light, the possible role of exposure to chemicals has also been investigated (Linet et al, 1995;Desmond and Soong, 2003). Clearly, trace elements are also among these potential environmental risk factors, since exposure to minerals with both nutritional and toxicologic properties, such as zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Sc) and iron (Fe), and heavy metal lead (Pb), have been linked to changes in melanoma risk (Bain et al, 1993;Nielsen et al, 1996;Ros-Bullon et al, 1998;Desmond and Soong, 2003). Very few epidemiologic studies have been conducted on these topics, however, and the results have been inconsistent particularly for selenium (Desmond and Soong, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental exposure to trace elements and risk of cutaneous melanoma

Bassissi

Malagoli

Pellacani

et al. 2005

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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Purpose: Our aim was to examine the risk of melanoma in association with exposure to trace elements of toxicological and nutritional interest. Methods: We analyzed the concentrations of cadmium, lead, chromium, selenium, copper and zinc in toenails of 58 patients with newly diagnosed cutaneous melanoma as well as in 58 age-and sex-matched control subjects, randomly selected from the population of Modena province in northern Italy. Results: Melanoma risk was substantially unrelated to toenail levels of cadmium, chromium, lead and selenium. Subjects with higher toenail copper levels showed an excess risk, both in the crude analysis and after adjusting for sun exposure and level of education, while in both analyses high iron concentrations were associated with a decreased risk of the disease. A weak direct association between zinc levels and melanoma risk also emerged in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Overall, these results do not suggest an involvement of heavy metals in melanoma etiology, while they do give some support to a possible role of zinc and, in particular, copper and iron exposure in influencing disease risk. However, these findings must be evaluated with caution due to the limited statistical stability of the point estimates.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental exposure to trace elements and risk of cutaneous melanoma

Bassissi

Malagoli

Pellacani

et al. 2005

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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“…Many non-UV-related factors have been proposed as contributing to the risk of melanoma, but no coherent etiologic picture has emerged (10,11). Most notably and relevant to our proposal is that many epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of melanoma in many occupations associated with the electronic and chemical industries (12)(13)(14)(15)(16).…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

Etiologic Pathogenesis of Melanoma

Meyskens¹,

Farmer

Anton‐Culver³

2004

Clinical Cancer Research

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Melanoma is the eighth most common malignancy in the United States and has shown rapid increases in its incidence rate over the past two decades, especially in early-stage disease (1)(2)(3)(4). A recent analysis of data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program indicates that the incidence of melanoma increases with age, with somewhat different patterns in men and women (3). Genetic and environmental interactions clearly play a role in melanoma and may explain in part the variations in age-specific incidence rates and the differences between the rates in men and women.The etiology of malignant melanoma has been attributed to a great extent to the role of UV light exposure as the most important risk factor for melanoma in those with phenotypic susceptibility (5-10). The increase in the risk of melanoma by age has also been attributed to exposure to environmental agents in addition to UV light where the onset of melanoma depends on latency periods between the onset of environmental exposure and tumor occurrence and multiple other factors. Most epidemiological studies are examining the effect of known risk factors identified and quantified through case-control and association studies. However, the epidemiological studies usually do not measure effectively synergism between two or more possible etiologic factors in gene/environment and gene/gene studies and provide very little information regarding mechanisms of disease etiology.The pathogenesis of human melanocyte transformation remains incompletely understood. Many non-UV-related factors have been proposed as contributing to the risk of melanoma, but no coherent etiologic picture has emerged (10, 11). Most notably and relevant to our proposal is that many epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of melanoma in many occupations associated with the electronic and chemical industries (12-16). We propose that the attributable risk not explained by UV light exposure or genetic risk can largely be understood by using a model that proposes that increases in reactive oxygen species are central to the pathogenesis of melanocyte transformation and melanoma progression (Fig. 1). We review here our studies and those of others that suggest that changes in the melanin from antioxidant to pro-oxidant are a critical early pathogenic event. We further discuss the consequences of this alteration for the melanocyte, how such changes may explain most of the epidemiological observations that have been postulated as exogenous risk factors for melanoma, and the consequences of these modulations for the (chemo) prevention and possible treatment of human melanoma.A unique biological feature of the melanocyte is its production of melanin, a molecule with a diversity of complex redox and free-radical properties and interactions, including an interaction with oxygen (17, 18). Over the past five years we have performed a series of experiments that have led us to postulate that redox-recycling of melanin and its precursors is an etiologically important and possibly...

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“…The lacuna vasorum increases in size in both sexes from birth to old age. This may account for the increased incidence in elderly patients 4 . The lacuna musculorum decreases in size with age, possibly explaining the comparatively increased incidence in elderly men.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The male-to-female ratio is 1:4 and incidence increases with age 2 . The majority of hernias occur in women aged over 50 years 4 . Femoral hernias account for 2% of all hernias in men but they constitute around 24% of all hernias in women 2 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aetiology of femoral hernias revisited: bilateral femoral hernia in a young male (two cases)

Kochupapy

Ranganathan

Dias

et al. 2013

annals

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Bilateral femoral hernias are less common in men than in women and rare in young adults. Only one case of a bilateral femoral hernia in a young man has been reported in the literature before. Three main theories have been postulated for femoral hernias. The theory that they are an acquired disease is the most accepted due to the common occurrence of such hernias in multiparous women but the theory lacks enough evidence. We report two cases in young men. Anatomical variations in the femoral canal could be the primary aetiological factor in these patients. A unilateral femoral hernia in young men with acquired aetiological factors requires a clinical examination of the opposite side.

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Epidemiology of malignant melanoma

Cited by 94 publications

References 61 publications

Environmental exposure to trace elements and risk of cutaneous melanoma

Environmental exposure to trace elements and risk of cutaneous melanoma

Etiologic Pathogenesis of Melanoma

Aetiology of femoral hernias revisited: bilateral femoral hernia in a young male (two cases)

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