Skin Cancer in Skin of Color Transplant Patients

The document summarizes a study that investigated the risk of skin cancer in non-white organ transplant recipients, who are at increased risk due to immunosuppressant medications. The study, which used data from the United Network of Organ Sharing and the Henry Ford Health System, included patients who received transplants from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2011. It focused on basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma skin cancers, revealing that non-white patients with squamous cell carcinoma experienced more severe outcomes, including a higher number of cancers, recurrence, metastasis, and death, compared to Caucasian patients. The study suggested that these disparities are likely a result of delayed diagnosis and treatment in non-white patients.