Abstract 6225: Association of UV radiation exposure with risk of malignant melanoma and melanoma in situ in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

Abstract While ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is a risk factor for skin cancer, there is little evidence from prospective studies exploring the association with both malignant melanoma (MM) and melanoma in situ (MIS).1, 2 Within the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study involving 491, 367 participants ages 50-71 when the study began in 1995, we investigated the relationship between July erythemal UVR levels and the incidence of MM and MIS prospectively. July erythemal UVR is the average noon-time ground-level erythemal dose measured in July.3 UVR levels were linked to participants’ residences at baseline and categorized into quartiles. Participants were predominantly non-Hispanic white with a median age of 62 years. After adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors, we utilized multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over 6, 611, 941 person-years, with a median follow-up time of 15.5 years, 5, 034 MM and 3, 284 MIS cases were documented. We found a significant trend between higher erythemal UVR levels and increased risk of both MM and MIS. The highest quartile of UVR exposure (>236 J/m^2), compared with the lowest quartile (≤180 J/m^2), was significantly associated with a greater risk of MM; the HR was 1.32 (95% CI:1.22-1.44) for MM and 1.37 (95% CI:1.25-1.51) for MIS (P-trend <0.001 for both). The study underscores the need for heightened awareness and preventative measures for MM and MIS, especially in regions with higher UVR levels. Further research is needed to explore this association across different body sites. References 1. Lin SW, Wheeler DC, Park Y, et al. Prospective study of ultraviolet radiation exposure and risk of cancer in the United States. Int J Cancer. 2012;131(6):E1015-E1023. doi:10.1002/ijc.27619 2. Li Y, Liao LM, Sinha R, et al. Fish intake and risk of melanoma in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. Cancer Causes Control. 2022;33(7):921-928. doi:10.1007/s10552-022-01588-53. Ozone and Air Quality. NASA. Accessed September 5, 2023. https://ozoneaq.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/toms/# Citation Format: Samer Wahood, Yufei Li, Matthew Kaczynski, John Monroe, Fatima N. Mirza, Linda M. Liao, Rashmi Sinha, Martin A. Weinstock, Abrar A. Qureshi, Eunyoung Cho. Association of UV radiation exposure with risk of malignant melanoma and melanoma in situ in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 6225.