Psoriasis biologics ‘don’t raise skin cancer risk’
A registry study shows no difference in risk for patients on biologic compared with other therapies, although this might not hold for those older than 60, researchers say
Patients with chronic plaque psoriasis face a similar risk of SCC or BCC whether they are treated with biologics or conventional immunomodulator therapies, UK data suggest.
The researchers note, however, that their analysis flagged older people on biologics had an 81% greater risk of SCC than peers on non-biologic systemic therapies.
Findings from the large prospective cohort should reassure patients and dermatologists alike, although more data is needed to be definitive, they write in a research letter to the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
They noted a 2013 systematic review showed psoriasis patients were more likely to develop skin cancer than the general population.
