Compliance of Dermatology Screening Visits Among Patients With Skin Cancer-Predisposing Pathogenic Variants

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genetics
• Dermatology

Background:

• Genetic testing identifies individuals with pathogenic variants increasing skin cancer risk.
• Adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) dermatology screening guidelines in these patients is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate NCCN guideline compliance for dermatology screening in patients with skin cancer-predisposing variants.
• To determine if visits to a Hereditary Cancer Clinic (HCC) improve adherence to skin cancer screening.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational cross-sectional study of 230 patients with pathogenic variants (e.g., BRCA1/2, Lynch syndrome genes).
• Compliance measured before and after HCC visits, with a 6-month buffer.
• Statistical analysis using chi-squared proportion test.

Main Results:

• Dermatology visit compliance increased from 11.1% to 37% after HCC visits (p < 0.001).
• Increased compliance associated with personal/family history of non-melanoma skin cancer and age (45-50).
• 37.2% of biopsies showed non-benign lesions; Lynch syndrome variants linked to 50% of these.

Conclusions:

• HCC visits and personal/family history correlate with better adherence to skin cancer screening guidelines.
• Dedicated HCCs can enhance early detection and intervention of skin lesions.
• Further research with diverse patient populations is needed.