The impact of environmental UV exposure on the clinical course of Mycosis Fungoides.

Abstract

Background As phototherapy plays an\xa0important role in the treatment of early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF), it is possible that environmental ultraviolet (UV) exposure affects the natural history of the disease. Objective To assess the impact of environmental UV exposure on the clinical course of MF. Methods The National Solar Radiation Database was used to identify the top and bottom registries for UV exposure from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–18 database. Incidence and survival were determined. Results The high-UV\xa0cohort had a 30% lower risk of developing MF than did the low-UV cohort (hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-1.41; P\xa0 Limitations Retrospective design, use of the National Solar Radiation Database as a surrogate for individual sunlight exposure. Conclusion It is possible that environmental solar UV exposure may play a role in controlling early-stage MF among patients with photosensitive features.