[Skin cancer in organ transplant patients. Epidemiology and management]

Abstract

Transplant recipients are at significantly increased risk of cancer development as a long term complication. Skin cancer is the most common cancer, representing 40-50% of post transplant malignancies. In the first 10 years post transplantation, some 15%-40% of patients develop skin cancer, primarily squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, but also melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma and virally-induced Kaposi sarcoma. The management of skin cancer includes secondary prophylaxis and address attention to areas of widespread actinic damage, usually with topical agents. In high risk skin cancer or metastatic disease a substantial reduction in immunosuppression to switching to mTOR inhibitors appears to substantially improve the prognosis. The management of the individual tumor types is discussed; in general it follows the current guidelines.