Work

A dietary approach to skin cancer prevention in solid organ transplant recipients

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Among all patient populations, solid organ transplant recipients are one of the most at-risk groups for cutaneous malignancies. While modern post-transplant treatment approaches have significantly improved life expectancy, these chronic immunosuppressive regimens often lead to the rapid proliferation of skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Despite advances in surveillance, photoprotection, and therapeutic strategies, there is still substantial morbidity and mortality due to cutaneous malignancies in transplant recipients. One potential low-risk approach to chemoprevention is through the diet. To gain a better understanding of skin cancer prevention using dietary compounds, a review of the current literature was conducted. By appraising the current evidence, there appears to be potential therapeutic benefit for a variety of different diets and nutritional compounds, including but not limited to the Mediterranean diet, omega-3 fatty acids, nicotinamide, and phytochemicals like polyphenols and carotenoids. Although significant knowledge gaps remain, dietary modification and supplementation could be a potentially effective approach to cutaneous chemoprevention among solid organ transplant recipients.

Source: Frontiers in Transplantation

DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2026.1949295