BACKGROUND: Parallel to the rising incidence of malignant melanoma in fair-skinned populations, intensive efforts are currently devoted to identifying risk factors for melanoma in addition to the well-known cutaneous factors and those variables related to UV-exposure. OBJECTIVE: Systematic review of published results to elucidate the role of oral contraceptives in the development of malignant melanoma. DATA SOURCES: Literature retrieval systems MEDLINE and CANCERLIT as well as reference lists of already collected studies. STUDY SELECTION: All 18 (non-duplicate) case-control studies on the above relationship. DATA EXTRACTION: From the published data, study-specific odds ratios (OR) and accompanying confidence intervals (CI) were recalculated. For a quantitative meta-analytical summarisation two different models have been applied: a "fixed effects" (FE) and a "random effects" (RE) model. DATA SYNTHESIS: Study-specific ORs ranged from 0.13 up to 1.85; however, the majority of studies (14 of 18) yielded similar ORs within the interval [0.82, 1.15]. The summary ORs estimated from FE- and RE-models were both 0.95 (95% CI: [0.87, 1.04] for the FE-model, [0.87, 1.05] for the RE-model). CONCLUSION: The systematic review of case-control studies revealed no evidence for an aetiological role of oral contraceptives in the development of malignant melanoma.
BACKGROUND: Parallel to the rising incidence of malignant melanoma in fair-skinned populations, intensive efforts are currently devoted to identifying risk factors for melanoma in addition to the well-known cutaneous factors and those variables related to UV-exposure. OBJECTIVE: Systematic review of published results to elucidate the role of oral contraceptives in the development of malignant melanoma. DATA SOURCES: Literature retrieval systems MEDLINE and CANCERLIT as well as reference lists of already collected studies. STUDY SELECTION: All 18 (non-duplicate) case-control studies on the above relationship. DATA EXTRACTION: From the published data, study-specific odds ratios (OR) and accompanying confidence intervals (CI) were recalculated. For a quantitative meta-analytical summarisation two different models have been applied: a "fixed effects" (FE) and a "random effects" (RE) model. DATA SYNTHESIS: Study-specific ORs ranged from 0.13 up to 1.85; however, the majority of studies (14 of 18) yielded similar ORs within the interval [0.82, 1.15]. The summary ORs estimated from FE- and RE-models were both 0.95 (95% CI: [0.87, 1.04] for the FE-model, [0.87, 1.05] for the RE-model). CONCLUSION: The systematic review of case-control studies revealed no evidence for an aetiological role of oral contraceptives in the development of malignant melanoma.
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Keywords:
Biology; Cancer; Case Control Studies; Contraception; Contraceptive Methods--side effects; Correlation Studies; Dermatological Effects; Diseases; Family Planning; Literature Review; Neoplasms; Oral Contraceptives--side effects; Physiology; Research Methodology; Risk Factors; Statistical Studies; Studies