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Soo Park, MD
Soo Park, MD
Posted: Friday, May 15, 2026
A systematic review and meta-analysis presented during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026 suggests a potential inverse association between alopecia areata and nonmelanoma skin cancer. Presenting author Simonetta I. Gaumond, a PhD candidate at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote that this finding differs from the malignancy patterns typically observed in other autoimmune diseases.
“Alopecia areata may represent a natural model of heightened cutaneous immune surveillance, with relevance to understanding cancer risk in the context of JAK inhibition and immune signaling,” the investigators remarked.
The investigators searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov through July 2025 for observational studies reporting basal or squamous cell carcinoma incidence in alopecia areata vs controls. Eight retrospective cohort studies (n = 854,000 patients with alopecia areata) met inclusion criteria; four reported basal cell carcinoma outcomes and five reported squamous cell carcinoma outcomes.
Evidence across studies consistently indicated reduced skin cancer incidence among patients with alopecia areata compared with controls (odds ratio [OR] = 0.58). Pooled estimates were found to support inverse associations for basal (OR = 0.43) and squamous (OR = 0.66) cell carcinoma, although statistical significance was not observed. The investigators reported high between-study heterogeneity (I2 > 80%), which they attributed to differences in study design, case ascertainment, and adjustment for exposure to ultraviolet radiation, phototype, and treatment history. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the protective association remained consistent, with no evidence of publication bias.
“Further prospective studies with standardized outcome definitions, including diverse patient populations, are warranted to validate this association and explore translational implications for cancer prevention and survivorship care,” the investigators concluded.
Disclosure: Ms. Gaumond reported no conflicts of interest. For full disclosures of the other study authors, visit abstractsonline.com.
AACR Annual Meeting 2026 (Abstract 1249)
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