Risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in patients with atopic dermatitis treated with oral immunosuppressive drugs

Floor M. Garritsen*, Jorien Van Der Schaft, Juul M van den Reek, Klaziena Politiek, Harmieke Van Os-Medendorp, Marijke van Dijk, Dirk J. Hijnen, Marlies De Graaf, Carla A. Bruijnzeel-Koomen, Elke M G J de Jong, Marie-Louise A Schuttelaar, Marjolein S. De Bruin-Weller

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

There is uncertainty about the risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) treated with oral immunosuppressive drugs. A total of 557 patients with AD treated with these drugs in the University Medical Center Utrecht and Groningen, the Netherlands, were analysed. NMSC after oral immunosuppressive treatment was reported in 18 patients (3.2%). The standardized incidence ratio for developing SCC was 13.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 6.5–19.7). Patients developing NMSC were older at the start of therapy (p < 0.001) and data lock (p < 0.001) compared with patients without NMSC. No significant differences were found in sex, cumulative days of oral immunosuppressive drugs and follow-up between these groups (p = 0.42, p = 0.88, and p = 0.34, respectively). In interpreting these results it is important to include other factors, such as lack of association between treatment duration and tumour development and the long interval between treatment discontinuation and tumour development in some patients.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)724-730
Number of pages7
JournalActa Dermato-Venereologica
Volume97
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Atopic dermatitis
  • Non-melanoma skin cancer
  • Oral immunosuppressive drugs

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