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Melanoma Risk Factors

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Melanoma Risk Factors

  • See Also
  1. Nevus
  2. Congenital Melanocytic Nevus
  3. Atypical Nevus
  4. Melanoma
  • Risk Factors
  • Moderate Risk
  1. UV Exposure
    1. Sun Exposure and history of Sunburns
    2. Sun sensitivity
    3. Regular tanning bed use before age 30 years
      1. Tanning beds are considered carcinogens by IARC
      2. Lazovich (2010) Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 19(6): 1557-68 [PubMed]
  2. Caucasian skin
    1. White skin (Incidence U.S. 2016 to 2020)
      1. Increased risk: Blond or red hair, Freckles on back
      2. Males with Fitzpatrick Skin Types I and II: 38 per 100,000
      3. Females with Fitzpatrick Skin Types I and II: 25 per 100,000
    2. Other races (lower range for women, higher range for men)
      1. See Skin Cancer in Skin of Color
      2. Hispanic: 3.9 to 4.0 per 100,000 persons
      3. American Indian: 3.7 to 3.9 per 100,000 persons
      4. Asian: 1.3 to 1.6 per 100,000 persons
      5. Black: 0.9 to 1.2 per 100,000 persons
      6. Fitzpatrick Skin Types V and VI: 1 per 100,000
      7. Precautions
        1. When Melanoma is diagnosed in darker skin, it is often advanced with worse outcome
  3. Other factors
    1. Latitude related
    2. Immunosuppression
    3. Male gender
    4. Older age >50 years
    5. Melanoma Family History
      1. First degree relative increases risk 8-12 fold
      2. Of those with Melanoma, 10% have a Family History of Melanoma
    6. Blistering Sunburn more than once as child
      1. Whiteman (2001) Cancer Causes Control 12:69-82 [PubMed]
  • Risk Factors
  • Very High Risk
  1. Past history of Melanoma (especially <40 years old)
  2. History of 8 moles greater than 6 mm diameter
  3. History of a changing mole
  4. Atypical Nevus syndrome (FAM-M Syndrome, B-K Mole Syndrome) with Family History of Melanoma
  5. Congenital Melanocytic Nevi
    1. Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevi (>15-20 cm)
    2. Melanocytic nevi >100 in number
  • Resources
  1. National Cancer Institute - SEER stat fact sheet
    1. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/melan.html
  • References
  1. Habif (2003) Clinical Dermatology, 4th ed.. Mosby, p. 773-813
  2. Cress (1997) Cancer Causes Control 8:246-52 [PubMed]
  3. Perkins (2015) Am Fam Physician 91(11): 762-7 [PubMed]
  4. Rager (2005) Am Fam Physician 72:269-76 [PubMed]
  5. Saginala (2021) Med Sci 9(4): 63 [PubMed]
  6. Shenenberger (2012) Am Fam Physician 85(2): 161-8 [PubMed]