People with vitiligo “may have natural protection against skin cancer”, according to BBC News. The condition, which causes pale skin patches due to a loss of pigment, was previously assumed to increase the risk of serious skin cancers, such as malignant melanoma.
The study looked at 1,514 people with vitiligo and 2,813 people without the condition. The researchers identified several genetic variations associated with an increased risk of vitiligo. Two of these variations were also associated with a reduced risk of melanoma, and several others were located in regions containing genes known (or thought) to play a role in other similar immune conditions, such type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
The most important finding of this study was the identification of genetic variations associated with vitiligo. The suggestion of a link with melanoma will no doubt prompt further research, but at this stage it is too soon to say if these findings have major implications for melanoma risk in people with vitiligo. The researchers themselves warn that people with vitiligo should still be careful in the sun as they can sunburn quickly, and even a reduced risk of melanoma does not mean that there is no risk
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