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The following is a summary of “Increased risk of skin cancers in mucous membrane pemphigoid: a large-scale matched cohort study of 117 million US individuals,” published in the April 2025 issue of Frontiers in Medicine by Nouri et al. 

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), an autoimmune disease that affected mucous membranes, was treated with corticosteroids and immunomodulators, while cancer risk research remained limited and inconclusive.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the risk of skin cancer in individuals with MMP.  

They analyzed data from over 117 million individuals in the US to examine the risk of skin cancer in those with MMP over a 5-year follow-up period and 3 temporal difference analyses were performed, and disease severity was stratified.  

The results showed that MMP was linked to a higher risk of multiple skin cancers within the first 5 years of follow-up, notably squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer. Disease severity stratification indicated a significantly increased risk in severe cases.  

Investigators concluded that regular skin cancer screening and risk-based monitoring are crucial for patients with MMP, particularly those with severe disease and that further research is needed to understand cancer risks in other autoimmune blistering diseases. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1585167/full