Nevus count, pigmentary characteristics, and melanoma-specific mortality among Norwegian women with melanoma >1.0 mm thick

Abstract

Little is known about if and how nevi and pigmentation are associated with melanoma-specific mortality. However, increased melanoma awareness in people with lighter pigmentation and many nevi may result in earlier diagnosis of thinner less-lethal tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between nevus count (asymmetrical > 5 mm and small symmetrical), pigmentary characteristics (hair colour, eye colour, skin colour, freckling, pigmentary score), and melanoma-specific mortality in subjects with melanomas > 1 mm. Data from the Norwegian Women and Cancer cohort, established in 1991, with complete follow-up of melanoma patients until 2018 through the Cancer Registry of Norway, were used to estimate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for the associations between nevus count, pigmentary characteristics, and melanoma-specific mortality, stratified by tumor thickness using Cox regression. Estimated hazard ratios consistently indicated a higher risk of melanoma death for those with darker vs lighter pigmentary characteristics in patients with tumors > 1.0-2.0 mm and > 2.0 mm thick (e.g. pigmentary score hazard ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval (0.74-2.13)). Among women with melanomas > 1.0 mm thick, lighter pigmentation and asymmetrical nevi may be associated with lower melanoma-specific mortality, suggesting that factors that increase the risk of melanoma may also be associated with decreased risk of death from melanoma.