Is Phototherapy in Neonates a Risk Factor for Malignant Melanoma Development?

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.