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.