Article

Sunburns and risk of cutaneous melanoma: does age matter? A comprehensive meta-analysis.

Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
Annals of epidemiology (impact factor: 2.95). 08/2008; 18(8):614-27. DOI:10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.04.006 pp.614-27
Source: PubMed

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.

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Keywords

1300 article titles
 
26 studies
 
51 independent study populations
 
adolescence
 
adulthood
 
Bayesian random-effects models
 
cutaneous melanoma
 
dose-response analyses
 
fixed-effects models
 
greatest risk
 
increased risk
 
life-period
 
life-periods
 
lifetime sunburns
 
linear models
 
melanoma
 
odds ratios
 
Prevention efforts
 
risk factor
 
Sunburns