Use of topical immunosuppressant ointments may not increase skin cancer risk: JAMA
BOSTON - Adults with the chronic skin condition atopic dermatitis can rest easy in the knowledge that two topical immunosuppressant medications commonly prescribed to treat the condition do not appear to increase the risk for the most common forms of skin cancer, despite package label warnings to the contrary, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) found.
Looking at data on nearly 94,000 people diagnosed with dermatitis in general or more specifically atopic dermatitis -- Maryam M. Asgari, MD, MPH, Professor of Dermatology at MGH and colleagues found that patients who were prescribed topical tacrolimus or pimecrolimus did not have a greater risk for either basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas compared with patients who received prescription topical corticosteroids, the most common topical treatment for dermatitis.
Their findings are published online in JAMA Dermatology.
Tacrolimus and pimecrolimus belong to a class of drugs known as topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that TCI medications carry a "black box" warning about increased risk for skin cancer, although previously published studies have shown conflicting results regarding the use of TCIs and skin cancer risk. The FDA has mandated long-term studies of patients with atopic dermatitis who use these products to get a better handle on their potential for increasing skin cancer risk.
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