RenalWeb links to a paper from the American Academy of Dermatology: Most Organ Transplant Patients Are Unaware of Their Increased Risk for Skin Cancer:
Summer R. Youker, MD, FAAD, assistant professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis ... “Educating transplant patients about the risk of skin cancer is essential, but multiple studies have shown that education during their hospital stay is not retained by patients and is not enough to change patient behavior regarding sun protection,” said Dr. Youker. “Our findings confirmed that the majority of transplant patients surveyed did not know they were at risk of developing skin cancer, and many of the reasons they gave for not practicing proper sun protection or seeing a dermatologist could be remedied by developing an intensive educational approach that raises awareness of the prevalence of this real health threat.”
I think this is the key - to continue education post transplant. Relying on the period in the hospital, in the immediate aftermath of a transplant is not ideal.
“Because the time around an organ transplantation is consumed with the more pressing issues of rejection and infection, patients cannot be expected to recall information regarding the risks of sun exposure,” explained Dr. Youker. “Clearly, another method of informing patients of this risk is needed – preferably one involving dermatologists, who can assist the transplant team with strategies to educate and treat this high-risk patient population.”
I think this is true throughout the course of chronic kidney disease - whether it is in the hospital or during dialysis it is tough to comprehend information in the midst of a stressful medical procedure. I'm not sure what the solution is beyond repetition and impressing on the individual the need to be a life long student.
However, aggressively screening for cancers post transplant should be a focus of the transplant team. At the least there should be a best practices calendar to follow, so that people can follow-up their transplant with all the necessary screening, year after year. Good enough for the masses is not good enough for those immunosuppressed.
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