Journal article
Sunburns and Risk of Cutaneous Melanoma: Does Age Matter? A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis
Annals of epidemiology, Vol.18(8), pp.614-627
2008
DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.04.006
PMCID: PMC2873840
PMID: 18652979
Abstract
Sunburns are an important risk factor for melanoma and those occurring in childhood are often cited as posing the greatest risk. We conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude of association for melanoma and sunburns during childhood, adolescence, adulthood and over a lifetime.
After reviewing over 1300 article titles and evaluating 270 articles in detail, we pooled odds ratios from 51 independent study populations for “ever” sunburned and risk of cutaneous melanoma. Among these, 26 studies reported results from dose-response analyses. Dose-response analyses were examined using both fixed-effects models and Bayesian random-effects models.
An increased risk of melanoma was seen with increasing number of sunburns for all time-periods (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and lifetime). In an attempt to understand how risk between life-periods compares, we also report these same linear models on a scale of five sunburns per decade for each life-period. The magnitude of risk for five sunburns per decade is highest for adult and lifetime sunburns.
Overall, these results show an increased risk of melanoma with increasing number of sunburns during all life-periods, not just childhood. Prevention efforts should focus on reducing sunburns during all life-periods.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Sunburns and Risk of Cutaneous Melanoma: Does Age Matter? A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis
- Creators
- Leslie K Dennis - Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IAMarta J Vanbeek - Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IALaura E Beane Freeman - Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IABrian J Smith - Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IADeborah V Dawson - Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IAJulie A Coughlin - Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Annals of epidemiology, Vol.18(8), pp.614-627
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.04.006
- PMID
- 18652979
- PMCID
- PMC2873840
- NLM abbreviation
- Ann Epidemiol
- ISSN
- 1047-2797
- eISSN
- 1873-2585
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2008
- Academic Unit
- Dermatology; Epidemiology; Biostatistics; Pediatric Dentistry; Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Record Identifier
- 9983997371002771
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