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Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) have a high risk of developing aggressive skin cancers. However, there are no standardized triage guidelines to assist dermatology clinics with scheduling new patients pre- or post-transplant. Dermatologic care of SOTRs requires multidisciplinary coordination, extensive assessment, tailored counseling, and longitudinal care. Specialized high-risk transplant clinics are designed to address this clinical need but are a limited resource. This triage algorithm aims to provide a practical framework for tertiary care centers or community practice clinics receiving pre- or post-transplant referrals for active concerning growths or routine skin cancer screening exams. In summary, our expert panel recommends SOTRs are seen within 1-2 weeks for evaluation of an active growth and triaged according to their risk factors for the initial post-transplant screening visit (6 months-2+ years post-transplant). Transplant candidates should be seen for pre-transplant evaluation within 1 month of the referral for a skin cancer screening exam, depending on the transplant team's timeline and dermatologist availability. Overall, dermatologists face numerous challenges in caring for transplant patients, and scheduling these patients in a timely manner according to the acuity of their needs will facilitate prevention and early diagnosis of skin cancer, thus improving transplant patient outcomes.

Original publication

DOI

10.3389/ti.2025.14711

Type

Journal article

Journal

Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation

Publication Date

01/2025

Volume

38

Addresses

Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA, United States.

Keywords

Humans, Skin Neoplasms, Organ Transplantation, Risk Factors, Consensus, Dermatology, Algorithms, Triage, Referral and Consultation, Early Detection of Cancer, Transplant Recipients, Immunosuppression Therapy