Cancer protection in xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XP-V)

We describe herein a brother and sister diagnosed with xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XP-V) in early adult life, who presented with increased sensitivity to sunlight and with cutaneous carcinomas on sun-damaged skin. The 27-year-old male farmer (Case 1.) was diagnosed with advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and multiple actinic lesions. Surgical removal of these lesions was performed. Three months later he died of multiple pelvic metastases of SCC. His 29-year-old sister (Case 2.) was operated on for different tumors, histologically SCC-s or basal cell carcinomas (BCC), or praecancerous conditions many times. After a two year interval she was treated with low dose isotretinoin (2 mg/body weight). Diagnosis of XP-V was based on unscheduled DNA analysis (USD) and on clinical symptoms. We observed that during the long lasting isotretinoin treatment the tumor frequency dropped to a quarter. Therefore, the isotretinoin treatment seems to be a good approach for cancer prevention in conditions with high predisposition to skin cancer, such as in XP-V.