More Skin, More Sun, More Tan, More Melanoma

Abstract

Although personal melanoma risk factors are well established, the contribution of socioeconomic factors, including clothing styles, social norms, medical paradigms, perceptions of tanned skin, economic trends, and travel patterns, to melanoma incidence has not been fully explored. We analyzed artwork, advertisements, fashion trends, and data regarding leisure-time activities to estimate historical changes in UV skin exposure. We used data from national cancer registries to compare melanoma incidence rates with estimated skin exposure and found that they rose in parallel. Although firm conclusions about melanoma causation cannot be made in an analysis such as this, we provide a cross-disciplinary, historical framework in which to consider public health and educational measures that may ultimately help reverse melanoma incidence trends.

Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Ethnicity on Melanoma Presentation and Recurrence in Caucasian Patients

“…Further classification of the non-AJ patients revealed the majority of patients to be of mixed ethnicity (29%), followed by Northern European (17%), which is consistent with the reported trends of a high melanoma incidence in Northern European countries and is likely related to phenotypic melanoma risk factors, such as fair skin (fig. 1) [6,25]. Spatial analyses demonstrate that the majority of our patients are tightly clustered within the greater New York metropolitan area and live in regions of high SES compared to national standards (fig.…”

“…In Caucasian populations, the incidence has increased by 3-7% per year [4]. Furthermore, Caucasians of higher socioeconomic status (SES), which is most often defined by a high income and/or a high education level, are at greatest risk for developing melanoma [5,6,7]. High SES has also been linked to an increased risk of other cancers, including prostate and breast cancer [8,9,10].…”

“…High SES has also been linked to an increased risk of other cancers, including prostate and breast cancer [8,9,10]. In melanoma, this association has mainly been attributed to high-risk behavioral patterns of excessive sun exposure, as patients with higher income and education levels have more opportunity for recreational sunlight [6,7,11]. …”

“…While high SES is linked to melanoma incidence [5,6,7], low SES independently predicts poor outcome in the general melanoma population [5,11,12]. However, prior studies examining the impact of SES on melanoma survival have often been limited by the confounding effects of race, as race is correlated with both SES and survival [13].…”

The Interest in Nanomaterials for Topical Photoprotection

“…He published an article entitled "On the influence of light on the production of cancer of the skin" in 1906 in "The American Journal of Medical Science" [3]. The Bordeaux dermatologist William Dubreuilh followed the same logic, diagnosing cancerous lesions on the uncovered areas of grape-pickers' skin who were exposed professionally and therefore, chronically to the sun [4]. The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century saw an increase in studies showing the consequences of repeated exposure to the sun.…”