What special populations are at increased risk of NMSC?

  • Organ transplant patients: NMSC is the most common malignancy in solid organ transplant recipients. Increased rates of NMSC are seen on average 8 to 10 years after transplantation, and the development of skin cancer in these patients appears to be linked to the duration and degree of immunosuppression required to prevent transplant rejection. The ratio of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) to basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) is higher in transplant patients, a reversal of the normal ratio seen in the general population.
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients: NMSC is the most common nonacquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)–defining cancer seen in HIV-positive patients. HIV-positive patients appear to maintain a normal ratio of BCCs to SCCs, but are two- to sevenfold more likely to develop NMSC than the general population.
Ulrich C, Kanitakis J, Stockfleth E, Euvard S: Skin cancer in organ transplant recipients—where do we stand today? Am J Transplant 8:2192–2198, 2008.

Honda K: HIV and skin cancer, Dermatol Clin 24:521–530, 2006.