It is well known that Parkinson's disease is associated with a variety of health problems, but what may be less known is that people with Parkinson's disease have a significantly increased risk of melanoma, a form of skin cancer. This article reviews the latest scientific findings on this topic and highlights the importance of early detection and treatment of melanoma in people with Parkinson's disease.

Scientific findings

The increased risk of melanoma in Parkinson's patients has been documented in numerous scientific studies. A first comprehensive meta-analysis was published by Liu and colleagues in the journal Neurology in 2011 and found that people with Parkinson's had more than double the risk of being diagnosed with melanoma. An important study on this topic was also published in 2010 by John Bertoni and colleagues in the Archives of Neurology (later renamed JAMA Neurology). The Bertoni study used data from the North American Parkinson's and Melanoma Survey Group and found that the incidence of malignant melanoma was 2,24 times higher in the Parkinson's cohort compared to the general population.

In 2015, another meta-analysis by Huang in the journal Translational Neurodegeneration broadly confirmed the findings of the Liu study. Zhang and colleagues reconfirmed the ~2021-fold increase in melanoma risk in Parkinson's disease in 2, using a sample of data from 17 million cancer cases. Interestingly, this study also found that there was no increased risk of "other cancers" in Parkinson's disease.

Why is there an increased risk?

It is not yet fully understood why people with Parkinson's have an increased risk of melanoma. Some researchers suspect that this is due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and drug factors. For example, certain genetic mutations associated with Parkinson's disease may also increase the risk of melanoma. Likewise, drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease could affect the risk of melanoma. However, further research is needed to test these hypotheses and gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this increased risk.

Importance of early detection

Given the significantly increased risk of melanoma in people with Parkinson's, it is crucial that both doctors and patients are aware of this risk and take appropriate measures for early detection. Regular skin examination by a dermatologist should be considered for all Parkinson's patients, especially those with other known risk factors for melanoma, such as fair skin, a history of sunburn, or a family history of skin cancer. If melanoma is suspected, a biopsy should be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Conclusion

It is well documented that people with Parkinson's have a significantly increased risk of melanoma. Although the exact causes of this increased risk are not yet fully understood, it is important that physicians and patients are aware of this risk and take appropriate measures for early detection and treatment. A regular skin examination by a dermatologist should be considered for all Parkinson's patients.