title: Skin cancer after renal transplantation: Results of a multicenter study in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Incidence and risk factors for skin tumors following renal transplantation can vary geographically; therefore, a retrospective study was performed to determine the incidence of and potential risk factors for skin cancer at 14 Transplant Centers in Iran between 1984 and 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 11,255 kidney transplant recipients who were examined for all skin tumors. All skin cancers were established by histological examination. The data collection included the patient's age and sex, immunosuppressive regimen before and after diagnosis of tumor, rejection episodes, post-transplant latency period, other concurrent neoplastic problems, renal allograft function and outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and twenty-eight (1.14%) renal recipients had skin tumor, representing half of all post-transplant malignancies (128 out of 245 cases). Kaposi's sarcoma was the most common post-transplant cancer compared with other skin tumors. Male recipients had more tumors than did females (P=0.04); the male-to-female ratio in the affected patients was 2.5:1. The age at transplantation of patients with skin tumor was higher compared to RTRs without skin tumor (47±11 vs. 38±15 years, P=0.000), and individuals older than 45 years were at higher risk (odds ratio=3.8, 95%CI 2.6-5.5) of skin cancers. Patients consuming azathioprine were at risk more of skin cancer compared with those were on MMF (odds ratio =2.9, 95%, CI 2.0-4.2). The overall mortality was low (7.8%) in cases with skin cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that male sex, increased age, prolonged immunosuppression and azathioprine increased the risk of skin tumors after renal transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Einollahi
authors.forename: Eghlim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nemati
authors.forename: Mahboob
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lessan-Pezeshki
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simforoosh
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nourbala
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rostami
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nafar
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pourfarziani
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beiraghdar
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahdavi-Mazdeh
authors.forename: Pedram
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahmadpour
authors.forename: Khadijeh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makhdoomi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghafari
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ardalan
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taebi Khosroshahi
authors.forename: Farshid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliaei
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahidi
authors.forename: Atehieh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makhlogh
authors.forename: Jalal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azmandian
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Samimagham
authors.forename: Heshmatollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shabazian
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D015994:Incidence; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D001379:Azathioprine