Examining atopic dermatitis and its association with non-melanoma skin cancer

Summary: Abstract Body: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects 31.6 million people in the United States. Recent research suggests an association between chronic inflammation, such as in AD, and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC); however, large-scale studies examining this relationship remain sparse. This study aims to explore such potential associations through data from the U.S National Health Interview Survey. Utilizing the 2021 U.S National Health Interview Survey, participants with self-reported AD were identified and compared to non-AD participants. Demographic and NMSC outcomes were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test for complex survey samples and chi-squared test with Rao & Scott's second-order correction. An adjusted logistic regression was performed with NMSC as the primary outcome. This study's cohort consisted of 249,877,244 (unweighted = 29,116) participants, in which 18,377,023 (7.4%) reported having AD. The prevalence of NMSC was significantly higher among individuals with reported AD compared to those without (2.8% vs. 2.0%, p<0.05). Adjusted logistic regression showed that individuals with AD were 1.5 times more likely to report NMSC compared to those without AD (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.17–2.01, p<0.05). The study also found that AD was more commonly reported by females (63%) and individuals with private insurance (64%). Additionally, participants with AD were 1.5 times more likely to report having some level of college education (54%) (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.18-1.83, p<0.05) and 2.4 times more likely to hold a professional degree compared to those without AD (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.85-3.13, p<0.05). Our analysis showed a significant association between AD and NMSC. These findings stress the need for targeted cancer screening and preventative strategies to reduce cancer risk in populations with AD, along with putting forth the need for increased dermatologic surveillance and awareness among this population. Lara Shqair¹, Omar Alani¹, Dany Alkurdi¹, Dev Patel¹, Zachary Schwager² 1. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States. 2. Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, MA, United States. Clinical Research: Epidemiology and Observational Research