Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
Arch Dermatol Res. 2024 May 22;316(5):189. doi: 10.1007/s00403-024-02942-0.
Many individuals with vitiligo are uncertain about their skin cancer risk, phototherapy risks, and recommended sun protective practices. This study examined the perceived skin cancer risk and sun protective practices among individuals living with vitiligo. A secondary objective was to understand where participants obtain this information. This was a prospective cross-sectional study. An online survey was distributed to vitiligo support group leaders globally who shared the survey with their members. Individuals over the age of 18 and with vitiligo were included. There were 209 survey respondents, the majority were between the ages 35-54 (45.5%, n = 95), female (70.8%, n = 148), White (66.0%, n = 138). Nearly half of respondents believed they were at increased risk of skin cancer because of their vitiligo (45.5%, n = 95) and nearly a quarter (22.5%, n = 47) believed that phototherapy increased their risk of skin cancer. Having vitiligo affected sun protective practices with less than a quarter (24.4%, n = 51) of respondents using sunscreen daily or often prior to their vitiligo diagnosis in comparison to the majority of respondents (60.3%, n = 126) using it after their vitiligo diagnosis. The three most common sources where patients obtained information were the internet and social media (46.4%, n = 97), vitiligo support groups (23.4%, n = 49), and dermatologists (20.6%, n = 43). Despite evidence indicating a decreased risk of skin cancer in individuals with vitiligo and supporting the safety of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy, many participants believed they were at an increased risk of skin cancer. Findings were sub-stratified and showed differences in sunscreen usage based on gender, skin color, and percent depigmentation. This study also found nearly half of respondents obtained information related to vitiligo from the internet and social media. The number of participants may limit the generalizability of the findings. Survey questionnaires are also subject to response bias. The findings from this study highlight demographic variations in sunscreen usage which may help guide the development of targeted interventions to improve sun protective behaviors among diverse populations with vitiligo. In addition, this study suggests certain sun protective practices and skin cancer risk perceptions may vary based on extent of depigmentation. Lastly, this study also demonstrates the internet and social media as a popular source for obtaining information, emphasizing the need for dermatologists to leverage various online communication channels to help disseminate accurate information.
许多白癜风患者不确定自己的皮肤癌风险、光疗风险和推荐的防晒措施。本研究调查了白癜风患者对皮肤癌风险和防晒措施的认知。次要目标是了解参与者从何处获得这些信息。这是一项前瞻性的横断面研究。一项在线调查分发给全球的白癜风支持组织负责人，他们将调查分发给其成员。纳入年龄在 18 岁以上且患有白癜风的个体。共有 209 名调查受访者，其中大多数年龄在 35-54 岁（45.5%，n=95），女性（70.8%，n=148），白人（66.0%，n=138）。近一半的受访者认为他们因白癜风而增加了皮肤癌风险（45.5%，n=95），近四分之一（22.5%，n=47）认为光疗增加了皮肤癌风险。白癜风影响防晒措施，在白癜风诊断前，不到四分之一（24.4%，n=51）的受访者经常或每天使用防晒霜，而大多数受访者（60.3%，n=126）在白癜风诊断后才开始使用防晒霜。患者获得信息的三个最常见来源是互联网和社交媒体（46.4%，n=97）、白癜风支持小组（23.4%，n=49）和皮肤科医生（20.6%，n=43）。尽管有证据表明白癜风患者皮肤癌风险降低，并支持窄带紫外线 B 光疗的安全性，但许多参与者认为他们皮肤癌风险增加。研究结果进行了细分，并根据性别、肤色和色素脱失百分比显示了防晒霜使用的差异。本研究还发现，近一半的受访者从互联网和社交媒体获取与白癜风相关的信息。由于参与者数量可能限制研究结果的普遍性，因此仅将研究结果应用于相似的患者群体。此外，调查问卷也存在应答偏倚。本研究结果强调了不同人群中防晒霜使用的差异，这可能有助于指导制定针对不同人群的干预措施，以改善白癜风患者的防晒行为。此外，本研究还表明，皮肤癌风险认知和某些防晒措施可能因色素脱失程度而异。最后，本研究还表明互联网和社交媒体是获取信息的热门来源，这强调了皮肤科医生需要利用各种在线沟通渠道来帮助传播准确信息。
