Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) - Health Tips
Get practical tips regarding Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) to help you prepare for your appointments and manage your care from home.
Topical therapies, such as imiquimod and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), may be prescribed for the treatment of certain types of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs).
Ingenol mebutate (Picato® Gel), another topical medication, may also be prescribed for the treatment of BCC. Although this use is "off-label" (meaning the medication was first approved by the FDA for a different medical condition) it may become a leading topical agent in BCC treatment.
Some recent studies have shown very good efficacy using both the pulsed-dye laser and the long-pulsed Alexandrite laser.
Most recently, vismodegib (Erivedge®) became the first systemic agent approved for metastatic or advanced cases of basal cell carcinoma. The approval of this new medication marks a truly exciting time in the field of skin cancer therapy.
The goal of these BCC treatment options is to provide a simpler treatment course, produce less scarring, or provide an effective treatment option for those patients that cannot tolerate or do not desire surgery.
Referral to a Mohs surgeon is generally reserved for high-risk locations (such as the eye, mouth, ears or nose), cosmetically sensitive areas, or for high-risk lesions.
Recurrent skin cancers, especially large lesions, or certain more aggressive sub-types, such as morpheaphorm or sclerosing BCC, are often candidates for Mohs surgery as well.