Atopic Dermatitis and Skin Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin diseases, and it may be associated with skin cancer risk. However, there is a controversy pertaining to whether it implies a greater or decreased risk of skin cancers. We aimed to study the relationship between AD and skin cancer risk. METHODS: PubMed and Embase databases from their inception to 4 August 2021 were systematically searched. RESULTS: We evaluated 16 studies involving a total of 9,638,093 participants examining the contribution of AD to skin cancers. Random-effects model was applied to estimate the overall effect sizes. The pooled analysis of 16 studies indicated that AD was significantly associated with an overall increased risk of skin cancer. Subgroup pooled analyses showed that AD was statistically associated with an increased risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). With regard to cohort study, AD was statistically associated with an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), BCC, and SCC, but not melanoma risk. Sensitivity analysis revealed that excluding each study in turn did not alter the overall combined results. No publication bias existed among the studies. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that AD is associated with risk of skin cancers; however, this association still needs to be verified in well-designed, worldwide trials (especially prospective, non-Western studies). The mechanism of AD leading to skin cancer is not clear, and further research is needed to explore the possibility of a potential pathogenesis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13555-022-00720-2.