Skin Cancer Risk in Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

May 2026 in “ Frontiers in Oncology ”

Simonetta I. Gaumond, Alireza Abdshah, Isabella Kamholtz, Peyton V. Warp, Keyvan Nouri, Antonella Tosti, JJ Jimenez

alopecia areata skin cancer melanoma basal cell carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma JAK inhibitors

Studysummary In this study, alopecia areata was associated with a statistically significant reduction in melanoma incidence, but not in overall skin cancer risk, highlighting the need for cautious interpretation due to heterogeneity.

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research Evaluating Current and Emerging JAK Inhibitors for Alopecia Areata: A Narrative Review

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This review reports that three JAK inhibitors—baricitinib, ritlecitinib, and deuruxolitinib—have gained FDA approval for treating alopecia areata due to their demonstrated efficacy in fostering hair regrowth in clinical trials.

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research Treatments for Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Narrative Review

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This review concluded that baricitinib and other oral JAK inhibitors have the most robust evidence supporting their use in treating severe alopecia areata in adults, compared to other less-evaluated treatments.

Incidence Rates of Infections, Malignancies, Thromboembolism, and Cardiovascular Events in an Alopecia Areata Cohort from a US Claims Database

research Incidence Rates of Infections, Malignancies, Thromboembolism, and Cardiovascular Events in an Alopecia Areata Cohort from a US Claims Database

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research A Comprehensive Literature Review of JAK Inhibitors in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

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This review explores the efficacy and outcomes of using JAK inhibitors for treating alopecia areata, noting advancements in understanding the disease's pathomechanisms and suggesting that JAK inhibitors may offer targeted therapeutic benefits by blocking specific inflammatory pathways involved in this chronic condition.

research Hair Follicle Immune Privilege and Its Collapse in Alopecia Areata

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