Monitoring of nevus density in children as a method to detect shifts in melanoma risk in the population

Monitoring of nevus density in children as a method to detect shifts in melanoma risk in the population

Background. Nevus density in children, a well-known risk factor for malignant melanoma, depends both on constitutional factors and on previous ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Secular trends of childhood UV exposure could thus be indirectly monitored by repeated standardized surveys assessing nevus densit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Preventive medicine Vol. 38; no. 4; pp. 382 - 387
Main Authors: Pfahlberg, A, Uter, W, Kraus, C, Wienecke, W.R, Reulbach, U, Kölmel, K.F, Gefeller, O
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-04-2004
Subjects:
Child
Child, Preschool
Children
Cross-Sectional Studies
Cross-sectional study
Female
Germany - epidemiology
Health Surveys
Humans
Male
Melanoma
Melanoma - epidemiology
Melanoma - etiology
Melanosis - complications
Melanosis - epidemiology
Melanosis - pathology
Nevus - complications
Nevus - epidemiology
Nevus - pathology
Pigmentation
Pigmented nevus
Primary prevention
Risk Assessment
Skin Neoplasms - epidemiology
Skin Neoplasms - etiology
Germany
Cross-sectional study
Children
Primary prevention
Pigmented nevus
Melanoma
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Summary:Background. Nevus density in children, a well-known risk factor for malignant melanoma, depends both on constitutional factors and on previous ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Secular trends of childhood UV exposure could thus be indirectly monitored by repeated standardized surveys assessing nevus density in children, such as the “childhood monitoring of nevus density (CMONDE-Study)”. Methods. Two complete surveys comprising all children at the time of school enrolment were performed in the city and county of Göttingen, Germany, during the years 1999 and 2000. A total of 4252 children with a median age of 6.25 years were examined as part of the mandatory school enrolment health assessment, and complete data were available for 3881 children. Results. Median nevus density was 5.8/m 2 in the entire study group. The subgroup-specific median increased from “Fitzpatrick skin type” IV to II, but the density was not increased for the type I subgroup. Similarly, nevus density rose with increasing lightness of hair color, but was very low in red-haired individuals. While the number of freckles was also strongly associated with nevus density, the association between iris color and skin reflectance, respectively, was weak. The duration of the additional examination for CMONDE was on average 3–5 min per child. Conclusion. We regard CMONDE as a highly feasible surveillance instrument, which should be implemented as an important addition to regular regional or national health reporting.
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ISSN:0091-7435
1096-0260
DOI:10.1016/j.ypmed.2003.11.015