Psoriasis and Malignancy

Auteurs-es

  • Ron Vender, MD, FRCPC

Résumé

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Psoriasis confers a modest overall increase in malignancy risk, concentrated in NMSC and selected lymphoid cancers, and amplified by disease severity and cumulative PUVA/systemic exposure.

• Chronic systemic inflammation and, in some contexts, therapy-related immunomodulation jointly shape cancer risk in psoriasis, rather than biologic treatment being uniformly carcinogenic.

• Modern biologic and targeted therapies—including IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors, as well as PDE4 and TYK2 inhibitors—generally show no clear increase in overall malignancy or recurrence risk, though ongoing pharmacovigilance and individualized oncology input remain crucial.

• Management should be multidisciplinary and risk-adapted, combining effective psoriasis control with tailored cancer surveillance and aggressive modification of lifestyle risk factors (smoking, alcohol, obesity, UV exposure).

Biographie de l'auteur-e

Ron Vender, MD, FRCPC

Dr. Ron Vender is a Dermatologist practicing in Hamilton, Ontario, where he is the founder and director of Dermatrials Research Incorporated and Venderm Consulting Inc. He has served as principal investigator in more than 120 clinical trials, enrolling over 1,000 participants. He is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, at McMaster University, and serves on the editorial boards of several high-impact journals. Dr. Vender is one of a small number of Canadians elected to the International Psoriasis Council and is a member of the Canadian Professors of Dermatology and the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. Dr. Vender represents Canada on multiple global educational steering committees and international advisory boards. He has authored over 180 peer-reviewed publications, including work published in leading journals such as The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine, and his posters, abstracts, and lectures have been presented internationally across five continents and in more than 50 countries.

Références

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Loft ND, Vaengebjerg S, Skov L. Cancer risk in patients with psoriasis: should we be paying more attention? Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2020;16(7):479-492. doi:10.1080/1744666X.2020.1754194

Vaengebjerg S, Skov L, Egeberg A, Loft ND. Prevalence, incidence, and risk of cancer in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatol. 2020;156(4):421-429. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.0024

Trafford AM, Parisi R, Kontopantelis E, Griffiths CEM, Ashcroft DM. Association of psoriasis with the risk of developing or dying of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatol. 2019;155(12):1390-1403. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2019.3056

Krzysztofik M, Brzewski P, Cuber P, Kacprzyk A, Kulbat A, Richter K, et al. Risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis treated with targeted therapies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023;17(1):14. Published 2023 Dec 21. doi:10.3390/ph17010014

Bellinato F, Gisondi P, Girolomoni G. Risk of lymphohematologic malignancies in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022;86(1):86-96. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2021.07.050

Mateescu LA, Savu AP, Mutu CC, Vaida CD, Serban ED, Bucur S, et al. The intersection of psoriasis and neoplasia: risk factors, therapeutic approaches, and management strategies. Cancers (Basel). 2024;16(22):4224. Published 2024 Dec 18. doi:10.3390/cancers16244224

Mansilla-Polo M, Morgado-Carrasco D. Biologics versus JAK inhibitors. Part I: cancer risk. A narrative review. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2024;14(6):1389-1442. doi:10.1007/s13555-024-01166-4

Vangilbergen M, Stockman A, Van De Velde A, Garmyn M, Punie K, Hillary T. The role of interleukin-17 and interleukin-23 inhibitors in the development, progression, and recurrence of cancer: a systematic review. JAAD Int. 2024;17:71-79. Published 2024 Aug 16. doi:10.1016/j.jdin.2024.06.006

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Davis MS, Spencer RK, Johnson CE, Elhage KG, Jin JQ, Hakimi M, et al. Risk of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with psoriasis biologic therapies. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2024;14(1):15-30. doi:10.1007/s13555-023-01074-z

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Wu WT, Chiang MC, Huang YC. The risk of malignancy in patients with psoriasis treated with long-term tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2025;50(5):968-980. doi:10.1093/ced/llae503

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Mastorino L, Dapavo P, Avallone G, Merli M, Cariti C, Rubatto M, et al. Biologic treatment for psoriasis in cancer patients: should they still be considered forbidden? J Dermatolog Treat. 2022;33(5):2495-2502. doi:10.1080/09546634.2021.1970706

Ro C, Ormaza Vera A, Adawi W, Yap A, Enos CW. Assessment of primary malignancy risk following initiation of biologic therapy in psoriasis patients. JID Innov. 2025;5(6):100397. Published 2025 Jul 4. doi:10.1016/j.xjidi.2025.100397

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Publié

2026-03-20

Comment citer

1.
Psoriasis and Malignancy. Can Dermatol Today [Internet]. 20 mars 2026 [cité 20 mars 2026];7(1):5–9. Disponible à: https://canadiandermatologytoday.com/article/view/7-1-Vender

Numéro

Volume 7, Issue 1, Winter 2026

Rubrique

Articles

Comment citer

1.
Psoriasis and Malignancy. Can Dermatol Today [Internet]. 20 mars 2026 [cité 20 mars 2026];7(1):5–9. Disponible à: https://canadiandermatologytoday.com/article/view/7-1-Vender