Coloured nail bands may signal cancer risk

New Delhi: A coloured band usually white or red along the lengths of the nail may actually indicate the risk of a cancerous tumour under or of the skin, eyes, and kidneys, finds a study that was conducted in the United States of America.

It has been discovered by scientists from the NIH that there is a nail problem referred to as onychopapilloma. This includes discoloured band, thickening of the nail and change of color, and increased thickness at the tip of the nail.

Therefore, this can help diagnose a very uncommon genetic condition called BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome. Therefore researchers reported yesterday in Cancer Discovery that it raises cancer risk, according to their findings.

Mutations in the BAP1 gene drive the syndrome, that normally acts as a tumour suppressor, among other functions, reveals the findings published in JAMA Dermatology journal.

The condition typically only affects one nail. However, in the study of 47 individuals with BAP1 syndrome from 35 families, about 88 per cent presented onychopapilloma tumours in multiple nails.

“This finding is rarely seen in the general population, and we believe the presence of nail changes that suggest onychopapillomas on multiple nails should prompt consideration of a diagnosis of BAP1 tumour predisposition syndrome,” said Edward Cowen, head of Dermatology Consultation Services at NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

The team suggested that nail screening may be particularly valuable in a patient with a personal or family history of melanoma or other potential BAP1-associated malignancy.