Are Melanocytic Nevi Biomarkers of Breast Cancer Risk?

Earlier research links cutaneous melanoma and breast cancer. Although nevus count relates directly to melanoma risk, no studies have examined nevus count in association with breast cancer risk. Now, two research groups report a possible relationship.

Kvaskoff and colleagues prospectively followed 98,995 women in a French cohort (median follow-up, 17.9 years; 5956 incident breast cancer cases occurred. In age-adjusted models, women with the highest nevi count (“very many”) had significantly higher breast cancer risk (hazard ratio, 1.17, 95% CI = 1.05–1.31; P for trend=0.006) than those with the lowest (“none”). Significance was lost after adjustment for family breast cancer history or personal history of benign breast disease. After adjustmen…