Skin Cancers in People With Albinism: An Overview and Review of Literature

Abstract

Albinism is a genodermatosis that predisposes affected persons to actinic dermatoses and skin cancers. This study aimed to review published studies on skin cancers in persons with albinism. This was an analysis of the literature published before January 1, 2022 on skin cancers in people with albinism worldwide. The articles included were searched in the following databases: PubMed, Lissa, Pascal, and Google Scholar. Over the search period, 74 articles on skin cancer in persons with albinism were included. Most of them (51.4%) were published in Africa. The average age of patients with skin cancers in these studies was around 40, and the female/male sex ratio was 1:1.3. Overall, 1143 skin cancers were reported in 850 patients. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most frequent skin cancer (648 cases; 56.7%), followed by basal cell carcinoma (BCC; 427 cases; 37.4%) with a BCC/SCC ratio of 1:1.5, and melanoma (39 cases; 3.4%). Of the 1143 cases of skin cancer, 998 (87.3%) were reported in Africa. The most common skin cancer in Africa was SCC, in contrast with Europe and America, where it was BCC. Melanoma was the least reported in Africa, with a frequency of 0.9%. African persons with albinism are more affected by skin cancers than people with albinism from other continents, mainly SCC, probably because of the high sunlight exposure. Preventive measures (popularization and respect of photoprotection measures, systematic and regular examination of the skin) and early and holistic management are essential to reduce the prevalence among this population in Africa.