S. Sinnya, M. Davis, L. Ferguson, M. Iannacone,N. Pandeya, H. Soyer, J. Fawcett, A. Green
Introduction:
Keratinocyte cancers such as squamous cellcarcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are commonlyencountered cutaneous neoplasms in solid organ trans-plant recipients (OTRs) and lead to signifi cant morbidity aswell as mortality.1While sizeable literature exists regard-ing prevalence and risk factors in renal transplant recipi-ents, this data remains scarce in the liver transplantrecipients in Queensland. The aim of this study was toreview the prevalence of keratinocyte skin cancers in asubset of 183 liver transplant recipients in Queensland.The frequency of skin surveillance measures and photo-protection behaviours were also studied.
Methods:
A total of 183 patients were recruited from thePrincess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. A whole bodyskin examination was performed to record the prevalenceof skin cancers, along with data on photo-protection beha-viours as well as skin surveillance measures using questionnaires.
Results:
The prevalence of histologically proven ker-atinocyte cancers in this subset of transplant recipientswas found to be 27%. The skin surveillance measures cur-rently practiced were sub-optimal with only a third of thepatients complying with the recommended internationaltransplant skin care guidelines. Funding and establishmentof focused transplant dermatology clinics may have a rolein minimising barriers to skin care and thus improvingoverall health outcomes in these high-risk individuals.