title: Aggressive skin cancers in a cardiac transplant recipient.
abstract: Skin cancers following cardiac transplantation are a serious problem that may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. While the majority of skin cancers represent minimally invasive lesions that are treated adequately by local means, a small subset exhibits a potentially life-threatening natural history. The aggressiveness of these skin cancers, despite standard treatment, is indicative of the aggressive nature displayed by a subset of secondary malignancies following cardiac transplantation. The need for lifelong maintenance immunosuppression after transplantation is a major factor in the development of these secondary malignancies. Presented here is the case study of a cardiac transplant recipient who developed multiple aggressive squamous and non-squamous cell scalp skin cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Veness
mesh_terms: D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012535:Scalp; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy