[Skin cancers in kidney transplant recipients]

Abstract

Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for end-stage renal failure. It prolongs the patient's life, improves quality of life and reduces costs associated with renal replacement therapy. Increasingly, newer immunosuppressive regimens allow for the proper functioning of the transplanted organ for many years. The progress in transplantation, qualification patients in older age for the procedure and longer survival of kidney graft lead to an increase in the number of patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs. They are exposed to various side effects associated with long-term suppression of the immune system, including an increased risk of cancer development. The most common malignancies (40- 50%) diagnosed in renal transplant recipients are skin cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are the most common types of tumors occurring in this population. The use of immunosuppression resulted in the increase of the incidence of tumors that in the general population are relatively rare such as melanoma, Merkel cell cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, anogenital cancer as well as sebaceous carcinoma.

Keywords: immunosupresive therapy; kidney transplantation; skin cancers.