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Bariatric surgery associated with reduced risk for skin cancer

In patients with obesity, researchers identified a decreased incidence in melanoma after bariatric surgery, which may lead to better understanding of melanoma and its risk factors, according to research in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers used data from the ongoing Swedish Obese Subjects study, which included 2,007 patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery and 2,040 matched controls who received conventional obesity treatment at their primary health center, ranging from advanced lifestyle advice to no professional treatment.

Patients underwent gastric bypass (n = 266), banding (n = 376) or vertical banded gastroplasty (n = 1,365). All patients underwent a baseline examination approximately 1 month before the intervention. Clinical examinations were performed after 6 months and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15 and 20 years.

During follow-up, 16 squamous cell carcinoma events and 29 melanoma events were identified in the control group compared with 11 squamous cell carcinoma events and 12 melanoma events in the surgery group.

The skin cancer incidence rates were 1.2 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.9-1.6 per 1,000 person-years) in the control group and 0.7 (95% CI, 0.4-1.0 per 1,000 person-years) in the surgery group.

The malignant melanoma incidence rates were 0.8 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI, 0.6-1.2 per 1,000 person-years) in the control group and 0.3 (95% CI, 0.2-0.6 per 1,000 person-years) in the surgery group.

“Baseline BMI was not associated with the preventive effect of bariatric surgery on skin cancer incidence,” Magdalena Taube, PhD, department of molecular and clinical medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden, and colleagues wrote. “It is possible that the reduced skin cancer risk after surgery is associated with altered metabolic or endocrine processes after bariatric surgery.” – by Abigail Sutton

Disclosures: Taube reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.