Skin cancer and folate metabolism

Abstract

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the Caucasian population in the Western world. The incidence of the three major types of skin cancer - basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma - continues to increase. Skin cancers are broadly divided into melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Melanoma accounts for 4% of all skin cancers however it is responsible for 80% of deaths from skin cancer. Non melanoma skin cancers are locally destructive and the expense of their removal is a significant economic burden to the healthcare system. Individual risk for skin cancer is due to a combination of risk factors. Well known risk factors include ultraviolet exposure and skin type. In transplant patients immunosuppression plays a major role and squamous cell carcinoma is an important cause of mortality in this group. In the following chapter the relevance of folate metabolism and skin cancer is discussed including our recent findings on the folate metabolic pathway and squamous cell carcinoma in renal transplant patients.