Epidemiology and Genetics of Tanning Addiction

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管对紫外线（UV）的有害影响有广泛的知识和教育，但黑色素瘤和非黑色素瘤皮肤癌的发病率仍在继续增加。为了使行为干预有效，了解行为背后的因素至关重要。最近的研究表明，紫外线暴露可能会产生生理效应（例如内啡肽的释放），从而激发晒黑行为，并且晒黑成瘾可能是一种生理现象，可能存在遗传修饰剂，如已显示的其他成瘾行为。由于我们正在收集大量关于晒黑行为和对晒黑的态度的数据，并在我们对早发性（40岁以下）基底细胞癌（BCC）的大型病例对照研究中收集DNA样本，我们有一个独特的机会来经济有效地评估这个新的假设。我们建议在BCC病例对照研究的背景下评估晒黑依赖性（通过类比公认的物质依赖形式定义）和晒黑依赖性与成瘾风险基因之间的关系。更具体地说，我们建议对我们的早发性皮肤癌研究的参与者进行额外的调查，以评估晒黑依赖（成瘾），这将使我们能够解决以下目标：（1）评估病例和对照组中晒黑依赖的患病率，按性别划分;（2）评估晒黑依赖（成瘾）与实际晒黑行为（例如，室内和室外晒黑）;也就是说，年轻人晒黑的行为有多少是由上瘾引起的？(3)评估被认为与多种类型成瘾相关的候选基因（阿片途径成员和昼夜节律基因）在晒黑成瘾中的作用。这些数据将与我们的病例对照研究数据协同作用，以提供与皮肤癌风险相关的晒黑动机和行为的全面图片。如果我们发现晒黑成瘾的基因与其他类型的成瘾有关，这将保证新的方法来减少依赖者的有害暴露，就像其他有害的成瘾性疾病一样。 公共卫生相关性：这项拟议的研究将调查晒黑依赖（成瘾）的流行病学和遗传学，这将有助于我们更好地了解晒黑的动机，并为开发创新干预措施开辟新的途径，以减少紫外线暴露，并最终减少黑色素瘤和非黑色素瘤皮肤癌。开发更有效的干预措施是必不可少的，因为皮肤癌是美国最常见的癌症，黑色素瘤和非黑色素瘤皮肤癌的发病率持续增加。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Despite extensive knowledge and education about the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) light, the incidence of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers is continuing to increase. For behavioral interventions to be effective, it is critical to understand the factors that underlie behaviors. Recent research suggests there may be physiological effects of UV exposure (e.g. release of endorphins) that motivate tanning behaviors, and that tanning addiction may be a physiological phenomenon, with possible genetic modifiers as has been shown for other addictive behaviors. As we are collecting extensive data on tanning behaviors and attitudes towards tanning within our large case-control study on early onset (aged under 40) basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and have DNA samples, we have a unique opportunity to cost-effectively evaluate this newer hypothesis. We propose to assess tanning dependence (defined by analogy with generally-recognized forms of substance dependence) and the relationship between tanning dependence and addiction risk genes within the setting of our BCC case-control study. More specifically, we propose to administer an additional survey to assess tanning dependence (addiction) to participants of our study of early onset skin cancer, which will allow us to address the following aims: (1) To assess the prevalence of tanning dependence in cases and controls, by sex; (2) To assess the association between tanning dependence (addiction) and actual tanning behaviors (e.g., indoor and outdoor tanning); that is, how much of tanning behavior in young people is explained by addiction?; (3) To assess the role of candidate genes that are thought to be related to multiple types of addiction (members of the opioid pathway, and circadian rhythm genes) in tanning addiction. These data will synergize with our case-control study data to provide a comprehensive picture of tanning motivation and behavior in relation to skin cancer risk. If we find involvement of genes in tanning addiction that are related to other types of addiction, this would warrant new approaches to reduce harmful exposures in dependent persons as has been done with other harmful addictive disorders. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed study will investigate the epidemiology and genetics of tanning dependence (addiction) which will help us better understand motivation for tanning and open new avenues for development of innovative interventions to reduce ultraviolet light exposure and ultimately reduce melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Developing more effective interventions is essential as skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and the incidence of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer continues to increase.