Skin Cancer in Sexually Diverse Patients

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have a higher risk of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers and may benefit from increased skin cancer screening, HPV vaccination, HIV management, smoking cessation, and sun protection, according to a poster presented at the 2023 AAD Annual Meeting.

Researchers sought to determine skin cancer incidence rates among MSM and women who have sex with women (WSW) compared with heterosexual patients by conducting a retrospective cohort study at Fenway Health between August 2014 and August 2020. Log-binomial regression was used to calculate adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% CIs adjusting for age, race, body mass index, smoking status, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and HIV status.

MSM had a significantly increased risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (risk ratio [RR]=3.3; 95% CI: 2.0, 5.5), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (RR=30.7; 95% CI: 4.2, 222), and melanoma (RR=2.4; 95% CI:1.5, 4.1) compared with heterosexual men In the unadjusted analysis. MSM had a significantly increased risk of SCC (aRR=11.1; 95% CI: 1.5, 82.6) compared with heterosexual men, but showed no significant difference in BCC (aRR=1.2; 95% CI: 0.75, 2.1) or melanoma (aRR=0.90; 95% CI: 0.42, 1.9) In the adjusted analysis. No significant difference in risk of BCC (aRR=0.65; 95% CI: 0.23, 1.8), SCC (aRR=0.1.3; 95% CI: 0.37, 4.7), or melanoma (aRR=0.90; 95% CI: 0.42, 1.9) was demonstrated in WSW compared with heterosexual women.

“The increased risk of SCC among MSM may be due to lifestyle factors for which we could not adjust, such as indoor tanning and outdoor UV exposure, and potentially an increase in the prevalence of HPV,” concluded the poster authors.

Reference

Sanz J, Gao J, Singer S, King D, Modest A, Dommasch E. Incidence of non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancer in sexual minority groups: a retrospective comparative cohort study. Poster presented at: AAD Annual Meeting; March 17–21, 2023; New Orleans, LA.