Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers After Kidney Transplant: Our 15 Years of Experience With Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibitors

We evaluated patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer after kidney transplant and the effects of immunosuppression reduction and switching to a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor drugs.Kidney transplant recipients were evaluated retrospectively from patient medical records (between January 2000 and December 2014). A 30% increase in serum creatinine was accepted as indicating renal failure progression.Of 18 patients included (mean follow-up 98 ± 66 mo), 7 (38.8%) had squamous cell carcinoma, 7 (38.8%) had Kaposi sarcoma, and 4 (22.2%) had basal cell carcinoma. At cancer diagnosis, average serum creatinine was 1.6 ± 0.7 mg/dL and proteinuria was 410 ± 766 mg/d. Immunosuppression regimen was changed in 15 patients (83.3%), with new regimen being a single-drug (only prednisolone) in 4 patients, double-drug in 6 patients, and triple-drug protocol in 8 patients. Eight patients were switched to a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor-based double (4 patients) or triple (4 patients) regimen. During follow-up after starting new treatment (average 46 ± 50 mo), 6 patients (33.3%) had progressive kidney failure (0 were receiving triple regimen). Those that progressed were using mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor-based drugs relatively less (33% vs 50%), although often receiving a single-drug immunosuppression treatment (50% vs 8.3%). Three patients (33.3%) had acute rejection (2 receiving double and 1 receiving single immunosuppression treatment). Five patients (27.7%) had local recurrence of the primary tumor. Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor use was relatively less common in patients with tumor relapse (20% vs 46%). One patient died (heart failure), and 1 with chronic rejection returned to dialysis.Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitorbased drugs could reduce local recurrence rate in kidney transplant recipients with nonmelanoma skin cancers. Aggressive reduction and/or cessation of immunosuppressive drugs after skin cancer can lead to graft rejection.