ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive, non-surgical, office-based modalities are a welcome alternative to surgery for basal cell carcinoma(BCC). This study evaluates the treatment of BCC with immunocryosurgery (cryosurgery during topical imiquimod) in a dermatology office setting. METHODS: Response of BCC to immunocryosurgery (daily imiquimod for 5 weeks and a liquid N2 cryosurgery session at the end of the 2nd week) was evaluated according to treatment feasibility, tumor clearance, and relapse. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with a total of 36 BCC (four relapses after cryosurgery or surgery) were recruited and all finished treatment (follow-up: 2-24 months). One month after the end of treatment, 30/36 sites were clinically cured. In five cases, a repeat cryosurgery at this time led to clinical cure (one patient refused cryosurgery; overall cure rate: 97.2%). Two relapses occurred after 12 and 14 months follow-up, which were successfully treated with immunosurgery and cryosurgery, respectively. Adverse effects included hypopigmentation, redness persisting for up to 3 months after treatment, superficial scarring that improved with time, and worry during treatment because of skin irritation (resolved with a phone discussion in all cases). CONCLUSION: Immunocryosurgery is a feasible and efficacious procedure that can be performed at a dermatology office for the treatment of primary and relapsed BCC.
Subject(s)
Aminoquinolines/therapeutic use , Carcinoma, Basal Cell/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Basal Cell/surgery , Skin Neoplasms/drug therapy , Skin Neoplasms/surgery , Adjuvants, Immunologic/therapeutic use , Administration, Topical , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Ambulatory Care/methods , Carcinoma, Basal Cell/pathology , Cohort Studies , Cryosurgery/methods , Feasibility Studies , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Greece , Humans , Imiquimod , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Invasiveness/pathology , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/therapy , Neoplasm Staging , Office Visits , Risk Assessment , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Cutaneous metastases from breast adenocarcinoma are usually nodular, single or multiple. Their zosteriform distribution is very rare. We present a 54-year-old woman with cutaneous zosteriform nodular metastases on the right side of her thorax, and infiltration of the corresponding arm, 3 months after the excision of adenocarcinoma of her right breast.