Multicenter, Prospective, Case-control Study of Exposome in Melanoma

Abstract

UV radiation is the main etiological agent of skin cancer. Other factors such as pollution, diet and lifestyle are also contributing factors. Our aim was to investigate the association between melanoma and exposome factors in the Spanish population with a prospective multicenter case-control study. Case group included patients with melanoma while the control group included people who attended the consultations as companions without a past medical history of skin cancer. A total of 73 melanoma patients and 126 controls were included. The former group included more outdoor workers, a history of skin cancer, drug use (acetylsalicylic acid, antidepressants and ACE inhibitors, p<0.05), more sun exposure (p<0.001) and more sunburns (p=0.04). Controls used shade (p=0.04) or clothing (p<0.001) and the sun protection factor (SPF) used 15 years earlier was higher (p=0.04). Melanoma-related exposome factors are associated with sun exposure, drug intake and food. Prevention strategies should target specific populations, such as outdoor workers by promoting sun-safe behaviors and healthy lifestyle habits since childhood.

Keywords: Diet; Dieta; Environmental exposure; Exposición ambiental; Exposoma; Exposome; Melanoma.