Prevalence of skin cancer in Native American kidney transplant recipients

Background: Skin cancer prevalence is well-characterized for white solid organ transplant recipients. Although the prevalence of skin cancer in non-white (Black, Asian, Hispanic) kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) has been assessed, no study has reported the prevalence of skin cancer in Native American (NA) KTRs. The aim of this study is to determine if the prevalence of skin cancer in NAKTRs is the same as in white KTRs. Methods: We conducted a case-controlled retrospective review from a single transplant center. One hundred thirteen NAKTRs who received a transplant between 2001 and 2011 were age- and transplant-year matched with 113 white controls. Results: The 226 KTRs consisted of 141 (62.4%) men and 85 (37.6%) women, with a mean age of 50.2 ± 10.8 years. There was no skin cancer found in NAKTRs prior to or post transplantation, while seven (6.2%) white KTRs had eight skin cancers prior to transplantation, and 28 (24.8%) white KTRs developed 66 skin cancers post transplantation. Twenty-two (19.5%) NAKTRs did not follow-up with dermatology at this institution. The median follow-up in NAKTRs was 3.3 years compared to 3.0 years in white KTRs. Conclusion: NAKTRs have a decreased prevalence of skin cancer compared to their white counterparts.