Key clinical point: An exposure to topical calcineurin inhibitors did not increase the risk for cancer in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), with findings being similar among infants, children, and adults.
Major finding: Compared with no exposure, topical calcineurin inhibitor exposure was not associated with an increased risk for cancer ( odds ratio [OR] 1.03; 95% credible interval [CrI] 0.94-1.11 ), with neither pimecrolimus (OR 1.05; 95% CrI 0.94-1.15) nor tacrolimus (OR 0.99; 95% CrI 0.89-1.09) use revealing any association with increased cancer risk, across all age groups.
Study details: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of 110 unique studies (52 randomized controlled trials and 69 nonrandomized studies) including 3.4 million patients with AD followed-up for a mean of 11 months.
Disclosures: This study was funded by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. L Schneider declared receiving consulting fees and payments to her institutions from, serving on data safety monitoring and advisory boards for, and holding stock or stock options in various sources.
Source: Devasenapathy N et al for the AAAAI/ACAAI Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters for Atopic Dermatitis Guideline Development Group. Cancer risk with topical calcineurin inhibitors, pimecrolimus and tacrolimus, for atopic dermatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2022 (Nov 9). Doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(22)00283-8