Abstract
This study aimed to identify risk markers for prevalent solar keratoses (SKs) and squamous cell carcinomata (SCC) combined, for incident SKs and for spontaneous remission of SKs and to evaluate primary preventative measures. It was a cross-sectional study, with follow-up, conducted in South Wales, and involved 1034 subjects aged 60 years and over. The main outcome measures were the presence of and changes in SKs, and presence of skin cancers, on sun-exposed skin, and risk factors for prevalent SKs/SCCs and for incidence and remission of SKs. We found that variables independently associated with prevalent SKs/SCCs were: age [80 + years vs 60-64 years, odds ratio (OR) 3.7]; sex (male vs female OR 2.2); cumulative sun exposure (top quintile vs bottom quintile OR 3.3) and skin type (skin type 1 vs 4 OR 12.4). Use of sunscreen or protective clothing was not protective after controlling for confounders. Males and those who sunbathe infrequently showed greater remission of SKs. Older subjects and those spending most time in the sun in the preceeding 2 years were most likely to develop new SKs. We conclude that the risk factors identified are consistent with results from sunnier countries. The failure of sunscreen or clothing to emerge as protective raises doubts as to whether these measures are as effective in routine use in the general population as theoretical considerations and the limited trial evidence would predict. Recently reported sun exposure appears to influence the risk of developing new SKs.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harvey, I., Frankel, S., Marks, R. et al. Non-melanoma skin cancer and solar keratoses II analytical results of the South Wales Skin Cancer Study. Br J Cancer 74, 1308–1312 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1996.535
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1996.535
This article is cited by
-
Positive association between actinic keratosis and internal malignancies: a nationwide population-based cohort study
Scientific Reports (2021)
-
Association between Height and Actinic Keratosis: A Nationwide Population-based Study in South Korea
Scientific Reports (2018)
-
Primary Care Review of Actinic Keratosis and Its Therapeutic Options: A Global Perspective
Dermatology and Therapy (2015)
-
Actinic Keratosis: Rationale and Management
Dermatology and Therapy (2014)
-
Prevalence of Actinic Keratosis and Its Risk Factors in the General Population: The Rotterdam Study
Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2013)