Vitiligo and skin cancer risk across racial/ethnic groups: A retrospective propensity score-matched study on 123,179 patients.

INTRODUCTION

The association between vitiligo and skin cancer has been previously studied, with most studies reporting either a reduced or no increased risk. However, findings remain inconsistent, and data on potential variation across ethnic groups remain limited.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between vitiligo and the risk of skin cancer, and to explore whether this association varies by race/ethnicity.

METHODS

A large-scale retrospective propensity score-matched study was conducted using real-world data from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network. A total of 123,179 patients with vitiligo were matched to an equal number of comparators. Outcomes were any skin cancer, including malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. Several sensitivity analyses were performed to assess robustness in addition to subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

The risk of any skin cancer was significantly lower in the vitiligo cohort compared with comparators (HR 0.83, 0.78-0.88, p = 0.002). The risk reduction was most pronounced for any malignant melanoma (HR 0.69, 0.58-0.81, p = 0.003). Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated a possible increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma in Black/African American individuals with vitiligo (HR 2.16, 1.09-4.28, p = 0.024). Sensitivity and control analyses were consistent.

CONCLUSION

Vitiligo was associated with a reduced overall risk of skin cancer. However, the association varied by race/ethnicity, with a potentially increased risk observed among Black/African American patients. Further studies in diverse populations are warranted to confirm these findings.