Capecitabine to prevent skin cancer in solid organ transplantation – pro
Skin cancers, especially squamous cell cancers, are very common after solid organ transplantation (SOTR). The incidence of skin cancer varies from country to country. Early reports were ranging from 10 to 40% at 10 and 20 years after transplantation. This incidence is higher in sunny Australia, 45 and 70% at 10 and 20 years, respectively, after the transplantation. Cutaneous premalignant and malignant epithelial lesions (carcinoma) are the most frequent skin tumours in organ transplant recipients.
A recent report by Jirakulaporn suggests that oral capecitabine can prevent at least some of these cancers. Fifteen patients (13 men and two women) with a median age of 57 yr (range 40-73) were treated. Incidence rates as measured by mean number of events per month declined by 0.33 for SCC, 0.04 for BCC, and 2.45 for AK (p < 0.05). The most common grade 3 and 4 toxicities included fatigue (40.0%), hand-foot syndrome (20.0%), and diarrhea (20.0%).
Jirakulaporn T, Endrizzi B, Lindgren B, Mathew J, Lee PK, Dudek AZ. Capecitabine for skin cancer prevention in solid organ transplant recipients. Clin Transplant. 2011 Jul-Aug;25(4):541-8.
Einollahi B, Nemati E, Lessan-Pezeshki M, Simforoosh N, Nourbala MH, Rostami Z, Nafar M, Pourfarziani V, Beiraghdar F, Mahdavi-Mazdeh M, Ahmadpour P, Makhdoomi K, Ghafari A, Ardalan MR, Taebi Khosroshahi H, Oliaei F, Shahidi S, Makhlogh A, Azmandian J, Samimagham HR, Shabazian H. Skin cancer after renal transplantation: Results of a multicenter study in Iran.Ann Transplant. 2010 Jul-Sep;15(3):44-50.
For Lay version see here