Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that probably triggers tremors along with difficulty in movement. It probably affects about one million people in the United States. An analysis of several studies now suggests that Parkinson’s disease patients face higher chances of developing melanoma, a deadly skin cancer.

This investigation analyzed 12 studies conducted from 1965 and 2010 that inspected the probable link between Parkinson’s disease and melanoma. Majority of the studies reportedly had less than 10 cases with both conditions. It was observed that men with Parkinson’s disease may be twice as likely as those without Parkinson’s to have melanoma.

“Parkinson’s disease patients in general have a lower risk for cancer, smoking-related cancers in particular, but they may have a higher risk for melanoma. One possible explanation for the link between Parkinson’s and melanoma is that the two diseases may share some genetic or environmental risk factors,” shared study author Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “However, our understanding of this link is very preliminary.”

Women suffering from Parkinson’s disease appeared one-and-a-half times as likely to be diagnosed with the dangerous form of skin cancer, than those without Parkinson’s. Scientists were unable to register a clear correlation between Parkinson’s and non-melanoma skin cancer. The disease apparently leads to melanoma because they share some genetic or environmental risk factors.

The study is published in the June 7, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.