By far, KS was the most common in black African/Caribbean patients, at nearly 11%. According to Dr. Kentley, researchers found the number of KS cases to be surprisingly high in this group, “compounded by the fact that we have had a number of additional cases in the past year after we had collected the data for this study.” He attributes the higher number of KS cases in these patients to an increased seroprevalence of its causative agent, human herpesvirus-8, in Sub-Saharan Africa. The rate of KS in the second most commonly affected group – white Mediterranean patients – was almost 2%.
Viral warts were common in most groups, with the rate in both white groups (white Northern European and white Mediterranean) at nearly 60%, and Far East Asians at about 65%. Porokeratosis was by far the most common in white Norther Europeans, at nearly 8%, and sebaceous hyperplasia was common in all groups (more than 20% to about 27%) except in the black African/Caribbean and South Asian groups.
All these results were statistically significant with P values less than .05.
“Our study has confirmed the increased risk of keratinocyte cancers in patients of white Northern European descent, as well as providing more information on the increased risk in patients of Far East Asian descent,” Dr. Kentley said. “We have also confirmed the propensity of black African/Caribbean patients to develop Kaposi’s sarcoma in the first 5 years post transplant and highlighted that white Mediterranean patients are also at high risk. Beyond this, we have been able to review the prevalence of rare malignancies, such as Merkel cell carcinoma and appendageal tumors, and highlight that white Northern European patients remain at high risk of developing these conditions.”