COMPARATIVE EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF PREMALIGNANT AND MALIGNANT EPITHELIAL CUTANEOUS LESIONS DEVELOPING AFTER KIDNEY AND HEART-TRANSPLANTATION

Background: Cutaneous carcinomas are the most frequent cancers in orga n transplant recipients. Objective: Our purpose was to compare the epi demiologic data of cutaneous premalignant and malignant epithelial les ions in kidney and heart transplant recipients. Methods: A total of 58 0 kidney and 150 heart transplant recipients were examined for the pre sence of premalignant and malignant epithelial lesions. Results: A two fold increase in incidence of premalignant and malignant epithelial le sions was found in heart compared with kidney transplant recipients. H eart transplant recipients were older at transplantation, received mor e intense immunosuppressive treatment, and had a shorter delay from tr ansplantation to the development of the first lesion. The squamous cel l carcinoma/basal cell carcinoma ratio was 2.37:1 in kidney and 1.08:1 in heart transplant recipients. The extracephalic location represente d 60% of the premalignant and malignant epithelial lesions in kidney a nd 30% in heart transplant recipients. Conclusion: Cutaneous premalign ant and malignant epithelial lesions in kidney and heart transplant re cipients show epidemiologic differences that can tentatively be explai ned by the older age and the more intense immunosuppressive treatment of heart transplant recipients.