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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Dermatology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1585167
Increased risk of skin cancers in mucous membrane pemphigoid: a large-scale matched cohort study of 117 million US individuals
Provisionally accepted- 1 Karolinska Institutet (KI), Solna, Sweden
- 2 Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- 3 Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Introduction: Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is an autoimmune disease affecting the oral mucosa, conjunctivae and other mucous membranes. The mainstay treatment options are local and systemic corticosteroids and immunomodulatory therapies. Current research on cancer risks in MMP is scarce and has yielded conflicting results. Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of developing skin cancer in patients with MMP by performing a large-scale, retrospective matched cohort study utilizing data from over 117 million US individuals. The risk of skin cancer in patients with MMP was observed within a 5-year follow-up period, along with three temporal difference analyses and stratification for disease severity. Results: MMP was associated with an increased risk of several types of skin cancers within the first 5 years of follow-up, particularly squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer. Stratification by disease severity showed significantly elevated risks in severe cases. Discussion: These findings underscore the importance of regular skin cancer screening and risk-based monitoring in MMP patients, particularly those with severe disease. Integrating dermatologic surveillance into routine care could facilitate early detection and timely intervention. Additionally, these results highlight the need for further research into cancer risks in other autoimmune blistering diseases, helping to refine long-term management strategies.
Keywords: Autoimmunity, Autoimmune, Pemphigus, Pemphigoid, Skin Cancer, Cancer, Matched cohort study, Mucous membrane pemphigoid
Received: 28 Feb 2025; Accepted: 20 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Nouri, Olbrich, Schmidt, Ludwig and Curman. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Philip Curman, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Solna, Sweden
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