Incidence of Male Genital Skin Tumors: Lack of Increase in the United States

• Published in: Cancer causes & control Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 91 - 93
• Main Authors: Goldoft, Marcia J., Weiss, Noel S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Rapid Communications of Oxford Ltd 01-01-1992
• Subjects: Age groups; Basal cell carcinoma; Brief Report; Cancer; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - epidemiology; Genital Neoplasms, Male - epidemiology; Genitalia; Humans; Incidence; Male; Male genitalia; Methoxsalen - adverse effects; Penile Neoplasms - epidemiology; Risk Factors; Scrotum; Skin cancers; Skin Neoplasms - epidemiology; Squamous cell carcinoma; Sun tanning; Sunlamps; Tumors; Ultraviolet Rays - adverse effects; United States; United States
• ISSN: 0957-5243; 1573-7225
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00051918

In men, genital exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has been hypothesized to increase the risk of nonmelanotic skin tumors at that site. However, during the period 1973-86, no change in the incidence of penile or scrotal skin tumors occurred in the United States, despite a likely increase in the population's level of genital exposure to UVR through the use of sunlamps and sunbeds. While UVR in conjunction with use of 8-methoxypsoralen by men with psoriasis is clearly related to an increase in the incidence of male genital skin tumors, our data provide no support for the hypothesis that, among men in general, UVR alone has this same effect.