Moles on preschool-aged children may predict the risk of melanoma later in life, according to new research from James Cook University.
Key points:
- Fifty-one people were checked for their number and size of moles as part of the study.
- The group was recruited from a trial conducted in the 1980s and 90s, which recorded moles on children
- The number of moles as a child was found to indicate the number of moles on adults, which is seen as a risk indicator of melanoma
The study was conducted using 51 people in Townsville who had been part of a study decades earlier when they were children.
Dermatologist Ramez Barsoum said the project was a collaboration between himself and Simone Harrison, who conducted the initial research on Caucasian children between 1985 and 1994.
He said only 51 from the original trial could be re-recruited — others had moved away or declined to participate.
In the original study, the number and size of moles were recorded for 484 children, recruited through their parents, who also gave information about their sun and lifestyle habits.
“There was this unique opportunity to see: did these things happen, were the high-risk kids, 25 years later, were they the high-risk adults.
“What we found was the kids who had lots of moles growing up, the ones that had more sun exposure … freckles as well, when we looked at them as adults, they were the ones that had again, the highest number [of moles].
Dr Barsoum said there were also a few participants who, in their 20s, had already developed melanoma.
He said very little research like this had been conducted before.
He said understanding this could help to identify at-risk children.
“[We could] intensify our efforts early on in the piece rather than waiting until they are young adults who’ve already developed a lot of risk factors for melanoma.”
The research also supported ongoing evidence which suggested sunburn before the age of seven to be another considerable risk factor in mole development.
Dr Barsoum said it would be good if one day, children could be screened for melanoma risk and then given more frequent checks if they’re found to be in one of the higher-risk categories.
He also said it should be remembered that many risks, like sunburn, were preventable, with appropriate, sun-safe practices.
While the data showed strong correlations among the participants, Dr Barsoum acknowledged that as all the earlier study participants were Caucasian, there were still limitations to how predictive the data could be.
“It’s not a representative sample of the diverse community that now lives in Townsville.
“Even though they are at lower risk, the risk is not zero, and therefore we should definitely try and include that in our future studies.”