MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2024 -- Specific cancers are associated with an increased risk for developing subsequent cutaneous melanoma, according to a study published in the January issue of JID Innovations.

Thomas Z. Rohan, from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and colleagues used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to examine the risk for developing cutaneous melanoma among survivors of the 20 most common cancers in the United States.

The researchers identified nine primary cancers linked to an increased risk for developing a subsequent cutaneous melanoma: cutaneous melanoma, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid cancer, brain and nervous system cancer, myeloma, breast cancer, oral cavity/pharynx cancer, and prostate cancer (standardized incidence ratios, 9.65, 1.76, 1.33, 1.32, 1.31, 1.23, 1.13, 1.12, and 1.03, respectively). The highest risk for developing melanoma was seen one to five years after diagnosis of most primary cancers. A 14-fold increased risk was seen for individuals aged younger than 50 years with a prior melanoma.

"Obtaining a detailed oncological history pertaining to the nine cancer types with increased risk of subsequent melanoma may help dermatologists in risk-stratifying patients for skin cancer screenings," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to Helsinn Therapeutics and Kyowa Hakko Kirin.