[Cancer unmasked or provoked by immunosuppressive therapy]

Abstract

The association between immunosuppressive therapy and cancer is to discussion. The overall risk is, however, still to be fully investigated. We describe two patients who had skin manifestations treated with immunosuppressive therapy and shortly afterwards were diagnosed with cancer. The skin diseases in question, vasculitis and pyoderma gangraenosum, can themselves be associated with cancer. However, treating these diseases with immunosuppressive therapy may potentially unmask or provoke an underlying cancer.