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Is UV an etiological factor of acral melanoma?

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 26, pages 539–545 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major environmental risk factor for melanoma, particularly among Caucasians. However, studies have generated conflicting results on the role of UV exposure in the development of acral melanoma, the most prevalent subtype of melanoma in non-Caucasians. In this review, we analyzed studies that have examined the relationship between acral melanoma and UV and show that acral melanoma has specific epidemiological and genetic characteristics, with a lower frequency or absence of UV-induced features. Therefore, we postulate that UV is probably not involved in the etiology of acral melanoma. However, further epidemiological and laboratory studies are required to fully address this controversial issue, which may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis and prevention of acral melanoma.

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Acknowledgements

The National Natural Science Foundation of China supported this study (Grant No. 81172749).

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  1. Lin Liu and Weigang Zhang: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China

    Lin Liu, Weigang Zhang, Tianwen Gao & Chunying Li

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Correspondence to Chunying Li.

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Liu, L., Zhang, W., Gao, T. et al. Is UV an etiological factor of acral melanoma?. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 26, 539–545 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2015.60

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