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Related Concept Videos

Skin Cancer01:30

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when there is an abnormal growth of skin cells, usually triggered by damage to the DNA within the skin cells. It is primarily caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer worldwide, and its incidence continues to rise.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
Pigmentation01:19

Pigmentation

The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Mutations01:35

Mutations

Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Mutations01:39

Mutations

Overview
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light02:00

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model
12:37

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Published on: September 7, 2013

Are some melanomas caused by artificial light?

Marina Kvaskoff1, Philip Weinstein

  • 1Inserm, CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, U1018, Nutrition, Hormones and Women's Health Team, Institut Gustave Roussy, F-94805, Villejuif, France.

Medical Hypotheses
|March 30, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Artificial light at night may increase melanoma risk by suppressing melatonin. Further research is needed to explore this light-at-night theory and its link to melanoma causation.

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Chemical-Induced Skin Carcinogenesis Model Using Dimethylbenz[a]Anthracene and 12-O-Tetradecanoyl Phorbol-13-Acetate (DMBA-TPA)
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Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Epidemiology
  • Chronobiology

Background:

  • Cutaneous melanoma incidence is rising, with traditional risk factors insufficient to explain trends.
  • The light-at-night theory links artificial light exposure to increased cancer risk via melatonin suppression.
  • Melatonin, a hormone regulating circadian rhythms, is produced in darkness and inhibited by light.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To postulate the light-at-night theory as a potential contributor to melanoma incidence.
  • To review existing evidence supporting the hypothesis that light at night may increase melanoma risk.
  • To identify research gaps and encourage studies investigating the light-at-night hypothesis for melanoma.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental studies on melatonin's effects on skin and melanocytes.
  • Analysis of epidemiological data on melatonin levels, shift work, and melanoma prevalence.
  • Examination of hormonal factors and their association with melanoma risk.

Main Results:

  • Experimental evidence suggests melatonin has antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic effects in skin.
  • Epidemiological data show lower melatonin in melanoma patients and increased risk in pilots and office workers.
  • Melatonin inhibition may increase melanoma risk by affecting hormonal factors like oestrogen.

Conclusions:

  • The light-at-night theory offers a potential explanation for a portion of the melanoma burden.
  • Existing evidence, though indirect, supports investigating the link between light at night and melanoma.
  • Further analytic epidemiological studies are crucial to directly test the light-at-night hypothesis for melanoma causation.