Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cancer Research, Dermatology, JAMA / 14.08.2020
Atopic Dermatitis: No Link Found Between Topical Calcineurin Inhibitor Use and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Maryam M. Asgari, MD MPH
Professor
Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors used for?
Response: Topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) are FDA approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (though they are used off-label to treat a wide range of inflammatory conditions of the skin, including psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and contact dermatitis). There are currently two drugs available – tacrolimus and pimecrolimus – both of which carry a black box label warning users about the potential for increased skin cancer risk. The risk associated with keratinocyte carcinoma, the most common cancer (defined as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), remains poorly defined because findings from large-scale post-marketing surveillance studies are lacking. (more…)