Contributions by MC1R Variants to Melanoma Risk in Males and Females

Recently, the red hair variants of MC1R were found to contribute differently to pigmentation phenotype in males and females.

To investigate the role of these variants in melanoma risk in males and females separately because carriers of the red hair variants of MC1R are at increased risk of melanoma.

In this hospital-based, case-control study, we evaluated the effect of MC1R and melanoma risk for males and females separately by performing multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Association of MC1R variants and melanoma risk in males and females.

A total of 905 females (473 melanoma cases, 432 controls) and 886 males (518 melanoma cases, 368 controls) were included in the analyses. The mean (SD) age of the study population was 59.2 (15.6). In females, carrying any MC1R red hair variants remained an independent risk factor of melanoma in a multivariable analysis (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.19 [95% CI, 1.60-2.99]), whereas in males, only signs of actinic skin damage (lentigines on the back [OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.47-4.45; P = .001] and the hands [OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.24-4.29; P = .008] and wrinkling on the neck [OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.23-3.82; P = .007]) and sunburns (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.12-2.42; P = .01) remained significant risk factors.

MC1R variants contribute differently to melanoma risk in males and females. This could be helpful to better classify melanoma risk factors between the sexes.