Prevention of non-melanoma skin cancer in organ transplant patients by regular use of a sunscreen: a 24 months, prospective, case-control study

Summary Background Skin cancers represent a major challenge within the ever growing group of long time surviving organ transplant recipients (OTR) world wide. Especially UV‐induced non‐melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) like invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and actinic keratoses (AK), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), outnumber every other form of cancer in organ transplant recipients. Despite encouraging reports of protective effects of broad‐spectrum sunscreens in immunocompetent patients, evidence for the prevention of NMSC in immunocompromised patients is still missing. Objectives To assess preventive effects of regular sun‐screen use on AK, SCC and BCC in chronically immunocompromised organ transplant recipients. Methods Hundred and twenty matched (age, sex, skin type, graft, transplant duration, previous post‐transplant skin malignancies) organ transplant recipients (40 heart, 40 kidney, 40 liver grafted) were recruited for this prospective, single‐center study. Both groups received equally written and oral information on sun protection measures. Sixty patients were provided with a free broad spectrum study‐sunscreen (SPF > 50, high‐UVA absorption) for daily application of 2 mg cm−2 to the head, neck, forearms, and hands. Results All 120 patients completed the 24 months study. Within this 24 month study interval 42 of the 120 patients developed 82 new AK (−102 sun screen group vs. + 82 control; P