BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: Five percent to 10% of cutaneous malignant melanomas (CMMs) occur in a familial setting. Clinical, epidemiologic, and genetic studies of familial CMM in different regions of the world have led to various results. To assess the characteristics of familial CMM in France, the clinical, histologic, and epidemiologic characteristics of 295 patients with CMM were recorded, and a comprehensive familial investigation was performed for each case. Patients with a family history of CMM were compared with nonfamilial cases. RESULTS: Cutaneous malignant melanoma occurred as a familial cancer in 22 (8%) of 295 patients. Among the multiple variables studied, those significantly associated with the familial occurrence of CMM were red hair, inability to tan, and presence of clinically atypical moles. When these variables were considered together in a multivariate analysis, only the association with red hair (P = .001) and atypical moles (P < .05) remained significant. In addition, the patients with familial melanoma exhibited the following tendencies: a younger age at diagnosis, a higher number of moles, and the development of multiple primary melanomas, but these results did not reach statistical significance. Factors relating to UV light exposure, histologic features of CMM, course of the disease, and occurrence of nonmelanoma cancers showed a similar distribution between familial and nonfamilial cases. CONCLUSION: A familial investigation should be performed for each patient with CMM in France, particularly when he or she exhibits phenotypic risk factors for CMM such as red hair and atypical moles.
BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: Five percent to 10% of cutaneous malignant melanomas (CMMs) occur in a familial setting. Clinical, epidemiologic, and genetic studies of familial CMM in different regions of the world have led to various results. To assess the characteristics of familial CMM in France, the clinical, histologic, and epidemiologic characteristics of 295 patients with CMM were recorded, and a comprehensive familial investigation was performed for each case. Patients with a family history of CMM were compared with nonfamilial cases. RESULTS:Cutaneous malignant melanoma occurred as a familial cancer in 22 (8%) of 295 patients. Among the multiple variables studied, those significantly associated with the familial occurrence of CMM were red hair, inability to tan, and presence of clinically atypical moles. When these variables were considered together in a multivariate analysis, only the association with red hair (P = .001) and atypical moles (P < .05) remained significant. In addition, the patients with familial melanoma exhibited the following tendencies: a younger age at diagnosis, a higher number of moles, and the development of multiple primary melanomas, but these results did not reach statistical significance. Factors relating to UV light exposure, histologic features of CMM, course of the disease, and occurrence of nonmelanoma cancers showed a similar distribution between familial and nonfamilial cases. CONCLUSION: A familial investigation should be performed for each patient with CMM in France, particularly when he or she exhibits phenotypic risk factors for CMM such as red hair and atypical moles.
Authors: J S Palmer; D L Duffy; N F Box; J F Aitken; L E O'Gorman; A C Green; N K Hayward; N G Martin; R A Sturm Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2000-01 Impact factor: 11.025
Authors: F Lesueur; M de Lichy; M Barrois; G Durand; J Bombled; M-F Avril; A Chompret; F Boitier; G M Lenoir; B Bressac-de Paillerets; Monique Baccard; Bertrand Bachollet; Pascaline Berthet; Valérie Bonadona; Jean-Marie Bonnetblanc; Olivier Caron; Jacqueline Chevrant-Breton; Jean-François Cuny; Stéphane Dalle; Michèle Delaunay; Liliane Demange; Julie De Quatrebarbes; Jean-François Doré; Marc Frénay; Jean-Pierre Fricker; Marion Gauthier-Villars; Paul Gesta; Sophie Giraud; Philippe Gorry; Florent Grange; Andrew Green; Laetitia Huiart; Nicolas Janin; Pascal Joly; Delphine Kérob; Christine Lasset; Dominique Leroux; Jean-Marc Limacher; Michel Longy; Sandrine Mansard; Karine Marrou; Tanguy Martin-Denavit; Christine Mateus; Eve Maubec; Laurence Olivier-Faivre; Vincent Orlandini; Pascal Pujol; Bruno Sassolas; Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet; Luc Thomas; Pierre Vabres; Laurence Venat; Ewa Wierzbicka; Hélène Zattara Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2008-07-08 Impact factor: 7.640