In a nutshell
The authors examined the occurrence of squamous cell cancer (SCC) in melanoma survivors and the factors associated with the risk of developing SCC.
Some background
SCC is a cancer of the squamous cells that are present in the outer layer of the skin. Patients with melanoma (cancer of the color-producing cells which are further deep into the skin) are at increased risk of developing SCC. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that these two cancers tend to occur in members of the same family.
Based on recent reports, it was found that melanoma patients who took BRAF inhibitors were more likely to develop SCC. BRAF inhibitors are drugs like Zelboraf or Tafinlar that inhibit/stop the growth of cancerous cells carrying mutated (changed) BRAF genes. However, there is not much data available on the occurrence and risk of developing SCC in melanoma patients who did not take BRAF inhibitors.
Methods & findings
The authors aimed to evaluate the factors associated with the risk of developing SCC in melanoma patients who did not take BRAF inhibitors.
Data from 6,378 melanoma patients with an average age of 61 years were studied. Over a 5-year period, 12.5 % of the patients developed SCC and the occurrence was more common in male and older (> 60 years) patients. There was a 43% increased risk of developing SCC for males. Non-Hispanic white patients had a 61% reduced risk of developing SCC. There was a 2.5 times increased risk of having SCC in patients who previously had non-melanoma skin cancer (cancer affecting cells other than the color-producing ones).
The bottom line
The authors concluded that older (>60 years), male patients with prior history of non-melanoma skin cancer were more likely to develop SCC.
The fine print
There was no control group in this study. The authors also did not include an importaant risk factor eg. sun-exposure.
Published By :
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Date :
May 21, 2014
