Incidence and risk factors for skin cancer following lung transplantation

Relative to other solid-organ transplantations, limited studies characterize skin cancer among lung-transplant recipients.

We sought to assess the cumulative incidence, tumor burden, and risk factors for skin cancer among patients with lung transplantation.

Medical records of patients at Mayo Clinic who had undergone lung transplantation between 1990 and 2011 were reviewed (N = 166).

At 5 and 10 years posttransplantation the cumulative incidence was 31% and 47% for any skin cancer, 28% and 42% for squamous cell carcinoma, 12% and 21% for basal cell carcinoma, and 53% and 86% for death, respectively. Four patients died of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. The cumulative incidence for a subsequent skin cancer of the same type 4 years after an initial skin cancer was 85% and 43% for squamous and basal cell carcinoma, respectively. Increasing age, male gender, skin cancer history, and more recent year of transplantation were associated with increased risk of skin cancer posttransplantation. Sirolimus was not associated with decreased risk, nor did voriconazole show an increased risk for skin cancer.

Retrospective and tertiary single-center design of the study is a limitation.

Skin cancers frequently occur in lung-transplant recipients. The risk of subsequent skin cancer is increased substantially in patients who develop a skin cancer after their transplantation.