Risk of skin cancers in patients with actinic keratoses
A study published in JAMA Dermatology utilized a large Medicare claims data set to investigate the risk of skin cancer among patients with actinic keratoses (AKs). Medicare beneficiaries with seborrheic keratoses were included as comparators. At five years, the absolute risk of any skin cancer in patients with at least one AK was 28.5%. The relative risk of skin cancer overall, and specifically the risk of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma, was increased in patients with AKs. In this cohort, older patients with AKs had substantial absolute risks, as well as elevated relative risks, of skin cancer. Efforts to develop evidence-based recommendations for skin cancer surveillance in patients with AKs are essential, according to the study authors.
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: A cold abscess remains a cold case — Multiple neonatal staphylococcal cold abscesses of the large folds
Graduating residents will usually ask me for parting words of wisdom. If I had to choose one morsel of advice, it would be to read and study throughout their career. I still marvel at reports of entities that I may have encountered but did not recognize because I had never heard of them. There is ample truth in the adage “the eye sees what the mind knows.” This commentary will focus on “Multiple Neonatal Staphylococcal Cold Abscesses of the Large Folds” (MNSCA), a disorder unbeknownst to me until I failed the photo quiz of a case presented by Pegalajar García et al.Keep reading!
Oral JAK inhibitors for AD patients: Major adverse cardiovascular events
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Dermatology evaluated the safety of oral JAK inhibitors for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). The review includes 23 studies and found that patients with AD, primary or secondary major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were not significantly higher in patients treated with JAK inhibitors compared with those receiving placebo or dupilumab. Among more than 9,000 patients treated with JAK inhibitors, only eight primary MACEs were documented. The authors conclude that this adds to the growing data showing that JAK inhibitors likely confer a low risk of MACEs in otherwise healthy patients with AD. However, caution should still be used in patients with high cardiovascular risk, the authors note.
In an article published in Dermatitis, the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) has named sulfites as the 2024 Allergen of the Year. Sulfites are used in industrial processes and are in food/beverage and personal care products. They are commonly added as preservatives and/or antioxidants and are found in topical antifungals, topical steroids, local anesthetics, and prescription eye drops. Sulfite allergy most often presents as facial or hand dermatitis. They are not included in many patch test series, despite their allergen prevalence ranging from 1.4% to 7% in recent reports. The authors recommend including sulfites in the next ACDS Core Allergen Series.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Cutaneous AEs and survival prognosis
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Dermatology sought to identify whether the presence of cutaneous adverse events resulting from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment is associated with improved cancer prognosis. The analysis included 23 studies comprising 22,749 patients treated with ICIs. The study found that cutaneous immune-related adverse events were associated with improved overall survival and progression-free survival. The results held true across all subgroups stratified by study design, geographic region, ICI type, and cancer type. The authors conclude that cutaneous immune-related adverse events may have the potential to be used as prognostic indicators for patients undergoing ICI therapy.
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