Skin Malignancy in the Military: A Number Needed to Biopsy Analysis.

Introduction: Skin malignancy has increased in prevalence over the last 15 years and effective diagnosis is required for adequate treatment. Retrospective data analysis of skin biopsy data has shown correlation between various independent variables, but no studies have been shown to directly assess skin malignancy risks for military personnel. Assessing correlation could lead to more effective, targeted screening programs that could lead to decreased mortality from skin malignancies.

Anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced bullous pemphigoid in metastatic melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.

Anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD1) targeted immune checkpoint inhibitors such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab are increasingly used to treat advanced malignancies such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, urothelial cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. A rare but increasingly reported adverse effect of anti-PD1 therapy is bullous pemphigoid (BP), an autoimmune blistering disease directed against BP antigen 1 and BP antigen 2 in the basement membrane of the epidermis. We present 3 cases of BP secondary to anti-PD1 immunotherapy in patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer to highlight the diagnosis and treatment of this condition and emphasize the importance of the dermatologist in the care of patients with immunotherapy-related skin disease.

E-cigarette Use in Veterans Seeking Mental Health and/or Substance Use Services.

Objective: Individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders smoke at elevated rates and tend to have greater difficulty quitting smoking as compared to the general population. Some believe that e-cigarettes may reduce harm associated with smoking, but little is known about e-cigarette use, perceptions, and motivations for their use among individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Methods: Rates and correlates of e-cigarette use, perceptions, and sources of information about e-cigarettes among smokers seeking mental health and/or substance use services (N = 188) at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System were assessed via a brief survey.

The effects of alcohol-containing e-cigarettes on young adult smokers.

Background: The liquids (e-liquids) used in an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) contain myriad chemicals without adequate human inhalation safety data. Furthermore, the absence of e-liquid labeling requirements poses a formidable challenge to understanding how e-liquid constituents may promote nicotine addiction and/or have independent or synergistic biological effects when combined with nicotine. Ethyl alcohol is such a constituent, but has received little scientific interest in this context.