Non-melanoma skin cancer in patients with atopic dermatitis treated with topical tacrolimus.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether atopic dermatitis (AD) patients treated with tacrolimus ointment experienced an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).


METHODS
Data were collected from 9813 adult and paediatric patients with AD who applied 0.03% or 0.1% tacrolimus ointment twice daily and were examined every 3 months during the tacrolimus ointment development programme.


RESULTS
Thirteen adult patients were diagnosed with NMSC during the follow-up period. All patients with NMSC were white adults and 12 were over 40 years of age. Based on 1718 patient-years of tacrolimus ointment exposure in patients 40 years of age, the calculated incidence of NMSC did not suggest an increased risk of first NMSC over that of a similarly aged US cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
This study does not indicate an increased risk for the development of NMSC in patients with AD treated with tacrolimus ointment for a mean duration of 208 days with a maximum observation period of 1479 days.
Naylor
Mark
M
Oklahoma University Health Science Center, Deerfield, IL 60015, USA.
Elmets
Craig
C
Jaracz
Eileen
E
Rico
Joyce M
JM
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009824:Ointments; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009824:Ointments; D016559:Tacrolimus