PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Amorrortu, Rossybelle P.
AU  - Fenske, Neil A.
AU  - Cherpelis, Basil S.
AU  - Vijayan, Laxmi
AU  - Zhao, Yayi
AU  - Balliu, Juliana
AU  - Messina, Jane L.
AU  - Sondak, Vernon K.
AU  - Giuliano, Anna R.
AU  - Waterboer, Tim
AU  - Pawlita, Michael
AU  - Gheit, Tarik
AU  - Tommasino, Massimo
AU  - Rollison, Dana E.
TI  - Viruses in Skin Cancer (VIRUSCAN): Study Design and Baseline Characteristics of a Prospective Clinic-Based Cohort Study
AID  - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0446
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention
PG  - 39--48
VI  - 29
IP  - 1
4099  - http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/29/1/39.short
4100  - http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/29/1/39.full
SO  - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev2020 Jan 01; 29
AB  - Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that cutaneous viral infections are risk factors for the development of keratinocyte carcinomas. The Viruses in Skin Cancer (VIRUSCAN) Study, a prospective cohort study, was established in 2014 to investigate the risk of keratinocyte carcinoma associated with cutaneous human papillomavirus and polyomavirus infection and the possible interaction with ultraviolet radiation exposure (UVR).Methods/Results: VIRUSCAN incorporates repeated measures of viral infection using multiple markers of infection and quantitative measures of UVR using a spectrophotometer. Participants were recruited between July 14, 2014 and August 31, 2017 at the University of South Florida Dermatology Clinic in Tampa, FL. After excluding 124 individuals with prevalent keratinocyte carcinomas at baseline, 1,179 participants (53.2% women, 46.8% men, all ages 60 years and older) were followed for up to 4 years with routine skin exams occurring every 6 to 12 months. Here, we present the VIRUSCAN Study design, methods, and baseline characteristics, including demographics, sun exposure behavior, quantitative UVR exposure measurements, and cutaneous viral prevalence, for the full study cohort.Conclusions: The VIRUSCAN Study will provide critical temporal evidence needed to assess the causality of the role cutaneous viral infections play in the development of keratinocyte carcinomas, as well as the potential interaction between cutaneous viral infections and UVR exposure.Impact: Study findings will be valuable in future development of novel keratinocyte carcinoma prevention strategies.