Neoplastic skin lesions in Iranian renal transplant recipients: the role of immunosuppressive therapy.
BACKGROUND
Immunosuppressive therapy is believed to be one of the most important risk factors in the development of skin cancer in renal transplant recipients.


OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine the types of neoplastic skin lesions encountered in Iranian renal transplant recipients and their associations with immunosuppressive regimens.


METHODS
The entire bodies of renal transplant recipients attending an outpatient transplantation department were examined.


RESULTS
Neoplastic skin lesions were diagnosed in 13.1% of the renal transplant recipients. Actinic keratoses, squamous cell carcinomas, and basal cell carcinomas were the most common neoplastic skin lesions observed. Transplant recipients exposed to immunosuppressive therapy for more than 5 years have a significantly higher risk of developing skin cancers than recipients with less than 5 years of immunosuppressive therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study confirmed the relatively high prevalence of neoplastic skin lesions among renal transplant recipients in the Iranian population.
Zamanian
Abbas
A
Department of Dermatology, Sina Hospital, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran.
Farshchian
Mehdi
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents