Skin cancer in renal transplant recipients: outcomes from a safety net hospital in Boston

Abstract

BackgroundRenal transplant recipients (RTRs) are prone to skin cancer due to the immunosuppression required to maintain graft function. Existing studies of skin cancer in RTRs focus on patients with Fitzpatrick skin types I‐II, with limited documentation of incidence in skin types III‐VI. This study seeks to better characterize skin cancers in RTRs with skin types III‐VI.Primary aimsCompare the incidence of skin cancer in RTRs of skin types I‐II with skin types III‐VI.Secondary aimsExplore the association between the development of skin cancer and other contributing factors in RTRs of skin types I‐VI.MethodsRetrospective chart review of RTRs at a single institution between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2022. Patients were followed from the date of transplant to the last clinical follow‐up or death. 777 RTRs were included in the study, including 245 patients with Fitzpatrick skin types I‐II and 532 with skin types III‐VI. A total of 48 patients developed NMSCs, 2 patients developed melanoma, and 3 patients developed Kaposi sarcoma.Results and conclusionsThere is a higher incidence of skin cancer in RTRs with Fitzpatrick skin types III‐VI compared to the reported incidence among non‐transplant recipients of the same skin types, but the incidence remains considerably lower compared to RTR of skin types I‐II.