Is phototherapy in neonates a risk factor for malignant melanoma development? - A preliminary case-control study

Objective: To determine whether phototherapy of the newborn's sensitive skin could be a risk factor for malignant melanoma. Design: Retrospective study from 1973 to 1992. Setting: The Swedish Medical Birth Registry and the Swedish Cancer Registry. Patients: Thirty cases of childhood malignant melanoma and 120 matched controls. Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measures: Data in birth and cancer reports and from death certificates in Sweden. Results: None of the patients with childhood malignant melanoma had received phototherapy, in comparison with 11 of the controls. This difference was not significant (P=.08; Fisher exact test). Conclusion: This preliminary report shows no significant risk of developing childhood malignant-melanoma after phototherapy of the skin in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. However, the median follow-up time was only 18 years.