Risk of skin cancer following phototherapy for neonatal jaundice: population-based retrospective cohort study
Funding: CSO Project no. CZG/2/352
Investigators: Dr David H Brewster1, Dr Jim WT Chalmers1, Dr Janet S Tucker2, Dr David J Lloyd3
Summary
The incidence of skin cancer is increasing rapidly in Scotland and many other countries. Recent French research has suggested that, compared to controls, children who were treated with phototherapy for neonatal jaundice have a higher melanocytic naevus count, a risk factor for subsequent development of cutaneous melanoma. Phototherapy has been used widely to treat neonatal jaundice for almost four decades. Surprisingly, apart from a small, negative Swedish case-control study with median follow-up of 18 years, there has been very limited research on the potential risk of subsequent skin cancer. We propose to establish a cohort based on the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank, with abstraction of phototherapy exposure status from neonatal paper records spanning 1976-1990. The cohort will be followed up by linkage to national cancer registration and mortality records. This will enable us to assess the risk of subsequent skin cancer among individuals treated with phototherapy for neonatal jaundice.
1Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland, Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9 EB
2Dugald Baird Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Cornhill Road, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZL
3Neonatal Unit, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Cornhill Road, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZL