The following is a summary of “Association of multiple primary melanomas with malignancy risk: A population-based analysis of entries from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program database during 1973-2014,” published in the MAY 2023 issue of Dermatology by Cai, et al.

The development of multiple primary melanomas (MPMs) has been associated with genetic and environmental risk factors. Therefore, it was hypothesized that individuals with MPMs may also have an increased risk of developing internal malignancies. 

For a study, researchers sought to identify the risk of subsequent malignancies in patients with MPMs. They analyzed the standardized incidence ratios of multiple primary melanomas for individuals with one or more primary melanomas (PMs) recorded in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1973 to 2014. The analysis considered patients with one or more PMs, two or more PMs, and three or more PMs.

A total of 223,799 individuals with one or more PMs, 19,709 with two or more PMs, and 3,995 with three or more PMs were identified. The risk of subsequent internal malignancy increased with the number of PMs, with observed-to-expected ratios of 0.99, 1.14, and 1.23 (P < 0.05) for patients with one or more PMs, two or more PMs, and three or more PMs, respectively. Younger MPM patients and those with superficial spreading melanoma had a higher risk of internal malignancy. The most common malignancies observed among MPM patients included breast, prostate, thyroid, soft tissue, brain, kidney, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The risk of subsequent cutaneous melanoma also increased with observed-to-expected ratios of 8.09, 22.52, and 41.03 (P < 0.05) for patients with one or more PMs, two or more PMs, and three or more PMs, respectively.

Patients with MPMs have an increased risk of subsequent internal and cutaneous malignancies. The findings suggested that close adherence to age-specific cancer screening guidelines may be beneficial for individuals with MPMs.

Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(18)32637-9/fulltext