Organ and stem cell transplants are often life-saving procedures that can add years to the recipient’s life. But they also come with risk. 

Organ transplant patients must remain on immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of their lives to prevent rejection of the new organ. This can increase their risk for infections and skin cancer. Stem cell transplant patients who have had total body radiation are also at higher risk of skin cancer.

The Nebraska Medicine Transplant Dermatology Clinic specializes in the prevention, early treatment and management of skin cancers in these individuals. 

“We work closely with the transplant team to manage their medications and monitor them closely throughout their lives,” says Vanessa Voss, MD, Nebraska Medicine dermatologist, who has special training in dermatologic oncology and heads the clinic. 

People who have had organ transplants have a 65 times greater risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma. “This type of skin cancer is very aggressive, can metastasize quickly and can be deadly if not treated early,” Dr. Voss says. “As a result, treatment for these patients is typically more aggressive than non-organ transplant patients.”

Preventive medications to reduce the development of skin cancer and to slow its development may be a part of their treatment regimen. CT screenings are often scheduled regularly to look for any possible spread of the cancer. 

“Our goal is to identify skin cancer and any metastasis as early as possible to minimize spreading,” says Dr. Voss. “If a patient should develop skin cancer, we have the advantage of having a host of experts here that can provide their expertise with nearly any type of issue or complication.”