There were no diagnosed skin cancers, suggesting an overall low incidence, in a cohort of non-White patients who had undergone liver transplant, according to the results of a retrospective study published in the International Journal of Dermatology.
Because of immunosuppressive therapy following liver transplantation, de novo malignancies can occur, and the most common are skin cancers. White race and Fitzpatrick skin type I through III are risk factors for the development of skin cancer after a liver transplant. However, studies about the incidence of skin cancers among non-White patients after liver transplantation are limited.
The retrospective study evaluated chart data from 96 non-White patients who had undergone a liver transplant from 2011 to 2013 at the Mayo Clinic. After transplant, patients received a standard immunosuppressive regimen containing tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and prednisone for 4 months, followed by MMF and prednisone in selected patients.
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The median age of the cohort was 58 years, and 57.3% were male. The majority of the study patients were Black (32.3%) followed by Asian (16.7%), White Hispanic (14.6%), Black Hispanic (10.4%), other Hispanic (9.4%), and other (10.4%). One patient had a history of skin cancer prior to transplant.
During a median follow-up of 1.3 years (range, 17 days-8.6 years), there were no diagnosed skin cancers in the cohort.
The authors concluded that “Our center’s experience is consistent with the literature and suggests that the incidence of newly diagnosed skin cancer in non-White transplant recipients is low. Longer follow-up may provide additional insights into the specific risk factors for the posttransplant development of skin cancer.”
Reference
Tolaymat LM, Reimer DK, Feig J, et al. Skin cancer in non-white liver transplant recipients: Mayo Clinic experience. Int J Dermatol. Published online March 20, 2021. doi:10.1111/ijd.15519
