Characterizing the cutaneous late effects of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A systematic review

There is a well-documented risk of secondary cutaneous malignancies following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), but data on risk in pediatric populations are limited. The objective of this study is to perform a systematic review of reported features and outcomes of skin cancers in pediatric allogeneic HSCT recipients.

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Web of Science were systematically searched (Prospero CRD42022342139). Studies reporting cutaneous cancer outcomes were included if the age at transplant was ≤19 years. Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were screened in duplicate.

Out of 824 citations that were screened, 12 articles were selected for analysis. The final sample included 67 pediatric HSCT recipients, comprising 65 allogeneic transplant recipients and 2 cases of HSCT with an unknown donor type. The median age at transplant and skin cancer diagnosis were 7.4 and 13 years, respectively. Out of the 67 pediatric HSCT recipients, some patients developed more than one lesion, resulting in 71 lesions. The most common skin cancer type was cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (32 lesions), followed by basal cell carcinoma (25 lesions). The median latency period between HSCT and skin cancer diagnosis ranged from 0 to 29 years. Identified risk factors for skin cancers included younger age at the time of transplant, exposure to total body irradiation, prolonged post-transplant immunosuppression, graft versus host disease, and sunburn.

Skin cancers are reported in pediatric allogeneic HSCT recipients, and the risk appears to be increased. More data are needed to better characterize this risk.