Photosensitizing Drugs, Estrogen, and Diuretics Linked to Increased Skin Cancer Risk
Source: Dermatology Times, March 2025
Estrogen therapy and certain diuretics may increase skin cancer risk, highlighting the need for careful patient counseling and sun exposure management.
A recent prospective study explored the association between commonly prescribed photosensitizing drugs and the risk of developing skin cancer in women.
Published in Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, the study found that estrogen therapy and certain diuretics significantly increased the risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), and cutaneous malignant melanoma (cM).