Abstract
Skin cancer in organ transplant recipients (OTRs) and other immunosuppressed populations is a significant health care concern. The more than two million American OTRs have a dramatically increased risk for developing squamous cell cancer, as well as a variety of other skin cancers, including basal cell cancer, melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and Kaposi sarcoma. Skin cancer risk is also increased among patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment for various autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis, and also patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Management of cutaneous neoplasia in these at-risk populations includes topical therapies, photodynamic therapy, systemic retinoids, surgical excision, as well as multidisciplinary care involving patient education and frequent dermatological examinations. In OTRs and autoimmune patients the revision of immunosuppression is also a key treatment consideration for aggressive skin cancers.
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Wang, T., Aires, D.J., Liu, D. (2014). Skin Cancer in the Immunocompromised. In: Hall, J. (eds) Skin Diseases in the Immunocompromised. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6479-1_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6479-1_13
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