Anyone dealt with multiple squamous cell surgeries post transplant?

what kind of surgeries did you have? Mohs or freezing the abnormal tissue? Are your skin issues related to the meds you take (check the prescription for side effects), genetic or caused by sun damage? A family member takes a daily chemo pill for another cancer which can trigger the skin cancer or not-he sees the dermatologist at least once a year or more whenever there is a suspicious spot-over the years he had Mohs surgery, freezing treatment and medicine applied to the skin area- he had melanoma and multiple squamous cell carcinomas removed without any
complications.

his medication has not changed-

he also did not have any transplant-

Hi @charlotte12 😀
Thank you so much for responding! Yes, my dermatologist is going to remove the squamous from my head using Mohs and then I will drive over to the plastic surgeon for the official closure.

I am 2.5 years post kidney transplant. I was on 1mg Tacrolimus bid, 5mg pred, 150mg Imuran dly. Over last few months I have had 5 Mohs surgeries on my scalp for squamous cell Cancer and numerous freezing areas. I notified my Nephrologist, and he changed the Imuran to 2mg Sirolimus dly. Anyone else had Squamous cell out of control

Hi @ckomis 😊
That's exactly the scenario and information I needed!
Thank you so much for jumping in to share your situation. Did your local nephrologist make the change to sirolimus or did your transplant center? (Are you experiencing any side effects with sirolimus or is everything going as it was?)
I am always concerned when we make a med change, but I think the frequent skin cancer may warrant this change.

My nephrologist who is from the transplant hospital made the change. No side affects, i have my first sirolimus level checked tomorrow. Yet to see if it helps calm down the squamous. Please talk to your nephrologist if you're experiencing the same .

Thank you @ckomis 😊 I will definitely call my transplant coordinator tomorrow to discuss. Is there a Sirolimus blood test similar to the Tacrolimis blood level test? Are you given a target range, like our Tacrolimis?
I guess you will have both tests moving forward to make sure you are in range for both drugs?

I just had my 2nd surgery for skin cancer and my first one with the type you mentioned. I'm 7 years post Heart transplant and I'm on Tacrolimous 1.5 mg twice a day. I'm told that skin damage and cancers actually start on our youth. But are kept at bay by our immune system. So it's super important to wear sunscreen being we are immune suppressed due to transplant. So I know for me they watch my levels very closely as they keep them.as.loe as possible to help my immune system be as useful as possible. Quite the balancing act. But for me it works. I'm also checked for skin cancer every 3 months. Hope that helps.

Hi @danab
It's so great to hear from you! Thank you for letting me know about your experience with skin cancer surgery too.
Yes, my early days on the beach as a teenager was definitely a mistake! Now that I am a transplant patient on immune suppression meds, I am starting to pay the price for all that foolishness of tanning and sunbathing. Is your only anti-rejection med a low dose of Tacrolimis?