Immunotherapy for keratinocyte cancers. Part I: Immune-related epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, and immunotherapy management of keratinocyte cancers.

The important role of the immune system in the surveillance and control of keratinocyte cancers (KCs), namely squamous and basal cell carcinomas, is increasingly appreciated, as new immunotherapies have recently become available. As the field of immunotherapy is rapidly evolving, this review synthesizes key concepts and highlights important cellular components within the immune system responsible for attacking KCs. We review the most current data on the epidemiology, risk factors, and immunotherapy management for KCs. Patients will seek advice from dermatologists to help explain why immunotherapies work for KCs and whether they might be appropriate for different clinical scenarios. Collaboration with medical colleagues across different disciplines to evaluate KCs for response to immunotherapy and early recognition of immune-related adverse events will help to optimize patient outcomes.
Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest Chang has been a clinical investigator and advisory panel member of Regeneron, Merck, and Novartis; has been a consultant for Castle Biosciences, Jounce Therapeutics, Sun Pharmaceuticals, and Genentech-Roche; and has been a clinical investigator for a study sponsored by Squarex and Pellepharm. Rieger has been a consultant for Pfizer and served on an advisory board for Kyowa-Kirin. Neuner, Lee, Park, and Colevas have no conflicts of interest to declare.
(Copyright © 2022 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)