Lichen planus and immune suppressants

We finally had our appointment with the oral pathologist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. It went better than I expected. The doctor believes that my husband, Bob, is no more at risk for oral cancer than he would be from any other type of cancer. He also told us that the lichen planus on Bob’s tongue might be related to the immune suppressants Bob has been taking. He has been taking those suppressants ever since he had a stem cell transplant three years ago. Basically the doctor said there is no treatment for lichen planus; they just give you a topical gel to try to relieve the occasional discomfort. The doctor told us that in his opinion, the immune suppressant medications can cause the immune system to “miss” a cancer cell that a normal immune system would recognize as foreign and destroy. This may be the reason Bob is at an increased risk for other types of cancer. We have a follow-up appointment in three months to make sure the lichen planus isn’t getting worse.
Source: Life with CLL - Category: Cancer Authors: Tags: cancer Source Type: blogs