Sleep apnea has proved to be a silent killer. It is a serious medical condition which is often associated with many health risks. Thus, according to a new research, represented at European Respiratory Society Annual Congress, the severity of sleep apnea can predict the severity of malignant skin melanoma. Earlier studies emphasized a link between cancer and sleep apnea. But, this experimental study in mice has also determined that low oxygen levels in the blood significantly enhance the risk of tumour growth.

This is the first research that identifies a close relation between sleep apnea and skin melanoma . There were examined 56 patients with malignant skin melanomas. Researchers measured presence and the severity of sleep apnea with severity of melanoma. When compared, the results showed that nearly 60% of the patients suffered from sleep apnea, and nearly 14% suffered from severe sleep apnea. Thus, it was determined that malignant skin melanoma was more aggressive in the patients suffering from severe sleep apnea. The severity of the disease was measured with regard to other aspects of aggressiveness such as depth of invasion and growth rate of the tumour. Findings conclude that sleep apnea can impact the consequences of melanoma and emphasize the need for holistic and systematic approach to treatment.