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Family
history of Melanoma linked to Parkinson’s
Disease
Newswise — People with a family history of
melanoma may have a greater risk of
developing Parkinson’s disease, according to
a study released today that will be
presented at the American Academy of
Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle,
April 25 to May 2, 2009.
The study involved nearly 157,000 people who
did not have Parkinson’s disease. They were
asked if their parents or siblings had been
diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form
of skin cancer.
Researchers then traced their progress for a
period of 14 to 20 years. During that time,
616 of the people were diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers found that people with a
reported family history of melanoma were
nearly twice as likely to develop
Parkinson’s as people with no family
history.
“The results from this study suggest that
melanoma and Parkinson’s could share common
genetic components,” said study author Xiang
Gao, MD, PhD, of the Harvard University
School of Public Health in Boston, MA.
“More research needs to be done to examine
the relationship between these two
diseases.”
Other studies have shown that people with
Parkinson’s disease have a greater risk of
developing melanoma.
The study was supported by the National
Institutes of Health and the Parkinson Study
Group.
The American Academy of Neurology, an
association of more than 21,000 neurologists
and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated
to promoting the highest quality
patient-centered neurologic care.
A neurologist is a doctor with specialized
training in diagnosing, treating and
managing disorders of the brain and nervous
system such as multiple sclerosis, restless
legs syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease,
narcolepsy, and stroke.
For more information about the American
Academy of Neurology, visit
www.aan.com
.
The AAN 61st Annual Meeting, the world’s
largest gathering of neurology
professionals, takes place April 25 to May
2, 2009, in Seattle. Visit
www.aan.com/am for more
information.
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