Study of factors affecting the incidence of skin cancer in patients after liver transplant

BACKGROUND: Many factors are currently being identified as potential inductors of skin cancer in patients after a liver transplant, among them, immunosuppressive regimen. OBJECTIVE: To study the factors that influence the incidence of skin cancer in patients after liver transplant. METHODS: We have carried out a retrospective and observational study with 170 transplanted patients who had undergone transplantation from 1997 to 2010. We have adjusted the multiple logistic regression model (saturated model) to the ensemble of collected data using skin cancer as dependent variable, indicated in anatomopathological analysis between 1997 and 2014. RESULTS: Incidence of skin cancer was 9.4%. Predictors were incidence of diabetes in the third year after the transplantation (p=0.047), not using tacrolimus in the first year after the transplantation (p=0.025) and actinic keratosis (p=0.003). STUDY LIMITATIONS: An important limitation is that the interpretation of the results was based on information collected of patients undergoing transplantation at a single center. Future research, multicentric and involving larger and more diverse populations, are needed. CONCLUSIONS: Factors found might contribute to Brazilian surveillance programs associated with decreased incidence of skin cancer.