Mastocytosis Tied to Increased Risk for Skin Cancer, Especially Malignant Melanoma

WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Mastocytosis is associated with an increased risk for skin cancer, especially malignant melanoma (MM), according to a research letter published online May 19 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.Anna Bergström, M.D., from Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues conducted a retrospective, propensity score-matched cohort study to examine the risk for skin cancer associated with mastocytosis. A total of 20,119 patients with mastocytosis were matched in a 1:1 ratio with controls based on age, sex, family history of cancer, and skin disease. Outcomes included MM, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and were assessed during three follow-up periods: one year, five years, and lifetime risk.The researchers found that compared with controls, patients with mastocytosis had significantly elevated lifetime risks for all skin cancers, with the highest risk for MM, followed by SCC and BCC (hazard ratios, 2.49, 2.15, and 1.92, respectively). In all sensitivity analyses, these associations persisted. For MM, the risk was highest within the first year after mastocytosis diagnosis, followed by SCC and BCC (hazard ratios, 3.54, 1.97, and 1.60, respectively). All risks remained significantly elevated when excluding the first 30 days after mastocytosis diagnosis, except for BCC, suggesting that the observed association may be partially explained by early detection bias."Our findings provide evidence that mastocytosis patients are at an increased risk of skin cancer, warranting heightened dermatologic surveillance, patient education on ultraviolet protection, and avoidance of ultraviolet-based therapies," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Mastocytosis Tied to Increased Risk for Skin Cancer, Especially Malignant Melanoma

Related Stories