Background. Some observational studies have suggested that excess dietary intake of
polyunsaturated fatty acids such as
linoleic acid increases cutaneous
melanoma risk. We aimed at examining the association between serum
fatty acids and
melanoma risk by conducting a population-based case-control study in a northern Italy community. Methods. The percentage composition of 12
fatty acids was determined in 51 newly diagnosed
melanoma patients and 51 age- and sex-matched population controls by extracting total
lipids from serum samples using thin layer and gas chromatography. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of
melanoma associated with tertiles of percentage composition of each
fatty acid as well as groupings including saturated, monounsaturated, and
polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results. We found a slightly increased
melanoma risk for stearic and
arachidic acids proportion, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. For an
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid,
docosapentaenoic acid, we found a male-specific direct association with
melanoma risk. No other associations emerged for the other saturated, monounsaturated, and
polyunsaturated fatty acids, individually or grouped by type. Conclusions. These findings do not suggest a major role of
fatty acids, including
linoleic acid, on risk of cutaneous
melanoma, though their evaluation is limited by the small sample size.