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Association Between Parkinson's Disease and Melanoma: Putting the Pieces Together

Qing Ye1, Ya Wen1,2, Nasser Al-Kuwari1

  • 1Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
|March 27, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients show a higher risk of melanoma, a skin cancer. This bidirectional link between PD and melanoma suggests shared underlying factors warranting further investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Oncology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a reduced risk of most cancers.
  • However, epidemiological studies consistently report an elevated incidence of melanoma among PD patients.
  • Conversely, Parkinson's disease (PD) occurrence is also higher than expected in melanoma patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review epidemiological, clinical, and biological evidence on the association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and melanoma.
  • To explore shared risk factors and potential mechanisms underlying this bidirectional relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of epidemiological studies.
  • Analysis of clinical data.
  • Examination of biological evidence for shared pathways.

Main Results:

  • Consistent epidemiological evidence supports a bidirectional association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and melanoma.
  • This association extends to the relatives of affected individuals.
  • Shared risk factors and biological mechanisms are increasingly recognized.

Conclusions:

  • The unique association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and melanoma provides a valuable model for understanding PD pathogenesis.
  • Further research into shared etiological factors is crucial for both conditions.
Keywords:
Parkinson’s diseasecancermelanomapigmentationrisk factors

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