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