Increased Risk of Skin Cancer for Psoriasis PatientsSeptember 26, 2001The risk of squamous cell cancer of the skin is increased in patients treated for psoriasis with ciclosporin in addition to photochemotherapy, conclude authors of a study in this week's issue of The Lancet. Immunosuppressive treatments such as ciclosporin have been associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, although most previous research has focused on patients who have had organ transplants. In the early 1970s, a new treatment for the severe skin condition psoriasis was introduced-combination of the light-sensitive drug psoralen and exposure to ultraviolet-A radiation (puva); immunosupressive drugs including ciclosporin and methotrexate are used to treat severe psoriasis cases. Isabelle Marcil and Robert Stern from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, USA, aimed to assess the risk of skin cancer in patients taking ciclosporin who had been exposed to PUVA and other treatments for severe psoriasis. The frequency of squamous-cell skin cancer for 28 patients (who had previously taken part in the PUVA study) and who were on ciclosporin was compared before and after their first use of ciclosporin. The investigators also analysed the entire PUVA study population (1380 patients) to assess the relation between ciclosporin use and frequency of squamous-cell cancer. In the 5 years before first ciclosporin use, six of 28 (21%) ciclosporin users developed a total of 20 squamous cell cancers. After ciclosporin use (average follow-up 6 years), 13 (46%) developed a total of 169 squamous-cell carcinomas. After adjustment for amount of exposure to PUVA and methotrexate, incidence of tumours was seven times higher after first ciclosporin use than in the previous 5 years. Any use of ciclosporin was associated with a three-fold increase in risk of squamous-cell cancer, and use for at least 3 months was associated with a nearly four-fold increase. Patients were at substantially greater risk with 3 months or longer use of ciclosporin than with exposure to at least 200 PUVA treatments. Long-term use of methotrexate was associated with lower risk than either any ciclosporin or high-dose PUVA use Robert Stern comments: "New immunomodulatory therapies hold great promise for improving the treatment of severe psoriasis. However, the great increase in skin cancer risk we have documented in patients with severe psoriasis treated with the first immunomodulatory therapy for this disease strongly argues that careful assessment of the long-term safety of new immunologically based treatments for psoriasis is needed." Lancet |
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| Related Skin Cancer Current Events and Skin Cancer News Articles Laser therapy can aggravate skin cancer High irradiances of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) should not be used over melanomas. Quarter of a million children in England at risk of skin cancer from sunbeds An estimated quarter of a million 11-17 year olds in England are being put at increased risk of developing malignant melanoma by using sunbeds, warn researchers in a letter to this week's BMJ. Hundreds of genes distinguish patients likely to survive advanced melanoma Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs. Adapting Space-Industry Technology to Treat Breast Cancer Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Switching immunosuppressants reduces cancer risk in kidney Switching to a newer type of immunosuppressant drug may reduce the high rate of skin cancer after kidney transplantation, according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA. Latest analysis confirms suboptimal vitamin D levels in millions of US children Millions of children in the United States between the ages of 1 and 11 may suffer from suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to a large nationally representative study published in the November issue of Pediatrics, accompanied by an editorial. Geologists studying groundwater arsenic levels in India empower Bengali women, children A Kansas State University geologist and graduate student are finding that the most important tools in their fieldwork on groundwater arsenic pollution are women and children armed with pamphlets and testing kits. Melanoma treatment options 1 step closer A targeted chemotherapy for the treatment of skin cancer is one step closer, after a team of University of Alberta researchers successfully synthesized a natural substance that shows exceptional potential to specifically treat this often fatal disease. Resident physicians seldom trained in skin cancer examination Many resident physicians are not trained in skin cancer examinations, nor have they ever observed or practiced the procedure. Researchers find demand for cosmetic and surgical procedures in dermatologic surgery rising rapidly Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the Laser and Skin Cancer Center of Indiana, (Carmel, Indiana), found that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of procedures performed and patient demand for dermatologic health care since 2000. More Skin Cancer Current Events and Skin Cancer News Articles |
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