Neoplastic Skin Lesions in Iranian Renal Transplant Recipients: The Role of Immunosuppressive Therapy

Background: Immunosuppressive therapy is believed to be one of the most important risk factors in the development of skin cancer in renal transplant recipients. Objective: Our purpose was to determine the types of neoplastic skin lesions encountered in Iranian renal transplant recipients and their associations with immunosuppressive regimens. Methods: The entire bodies of renal transplant recipients attending an outpatient transplantation department were examined. Results: Neoplastic skin lesions were diagnosed in 13.1% of the renal transplant recipients. Actinic keratoses, squamous cell carcinomas, and basal cell carcinomas were the most common neoplastic skin lesions observed. Transplant recipients exposed to immunosuppressive therapy for more than 5 years have a significantly higher risk of developing skin cancers than recipients with less than 5 years of immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions: Our study confirmed the relatively high prevalence of neoplastic skin lesions among renal transplant recipients in the Iranian population