Does psoriasis raise my risk of skin cancer?

In this video, dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD, discusses the link between psoriasis and cancer, and offers tips on how to lower your cancer risk if you have psoriasis.

Transcript

00:00

If you've had light treatment therapy for your psoriasis or if you've gone out in the sun for the psoriasis, both of those can increase your risk of skin cancer.

00:09

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00:20

Psoriasis has been linked to skin cancer mainly because of the treatments for psoriasis

00:26

because psoriasis is your own immune system or inflammatory system attacking itself. Many of the treatments are about calming down the immune system,

00:35

and that can actually suppress your immune system. And that unleashes your ability to make skin cancers.

00:44

For example, if you've had light treatment therapy for your psoriasis, or if you've gone out in the sun for the psoriasis, both of those

00:51

can increase your risk of skin cancer.

00:58

Also rarely, if you've had raw wounds from your psoriasis for a very, very long time, just that wound

01:05

can create a higher risk of skin cancer.

01:12

So for all of my psoriasis patients, I offer them a skin check at least twice a year, and you should definitely be seeing your dermatologist

01:20

every year for a skin cancer check while you're being treated for psoriasis. [AUDIO LOGO]