title: Malignant melanoma during treatment with fumaric acid esters - coincidence or treatment-related?
abstract: Psoriasis is today generally considered a systemic disease. Systemic therapies are used frequently. In Germany fumaric acid esters - FAE (Fumaderm(®) ) - are employed in more than 50 % of the patients requiring such therapy. We report for the first time the development of melanoma in two patients during their treatment with FAE. The logical question is - are the tumors coincidental or might they be treatment-related? Further investigations of pathways and immunologic effects as well as careful reports of side effects are necessary to estimate the risks of malignancy of FAE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergy, University of Leipzig, Germany. dietrich.barth@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: Jan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Tino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wetzig
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005650:Fumarates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D005650:Fumarates