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Antihypertensive drug use and cSCC risk
Author(s) -
Su K.A.,
Habel L.A.,
Achacoso N.S.,
Friedman G.D.,
Asgari M.M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/bjd.17211
Subject(s) - medicine , skin cancer , blood pressure , cancer , basal cell , medical prescription , dermatology , thiazide , drug , oncology , pharmacology
Summary Over one billion people worldwide have high blood pressure. Many of the medications used to treat high blood pressure are photosensitizing, meaning they make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. As a result, these medications might increase the risk of skin cancer, the most common type of cancer worldwide. This study, from the U.S.A., aimed to find out if people who take blood pressure medications with photosensitizing properties have an increased risk of a certain type of skin cancer called cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer. The researchers identified a group of patients with high blood pressure and looked at what blood pressure medications they took and whether they were ever diagnosed with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The researchers found that patients who take blood pressure medications with photosensitizing properties, including loop diuretics, potassium‐sparing diuretics, and thiazide diuretics, have an increased risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The researchers found that the more prescriptions for these medications the patients received, the higher their risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma was. This study suggests that patients taking blood pressure medications with photosensitizing properties may benefit from education on safe sun practices and closer screening for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.