Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Cell Population Analyses During Skin Carcinogenesis
Published on: August 21, 2013
The treatment of basal skin carcinomas in two sisters with xeroderma pigmentosum
1Dermatology, Academic Hospital, Free University Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that causes defects in the DNA repair system. It is characterized by a marked sensitivity to sunlight, and sufferers develop serious sunburns with onset of poikilodermia in the light-exposed skin. Squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and malignant melanomas appear in childhood. Two sisters with XP presented with previously treated facial BCCs. They were treated with imiquimod 5% cream three times weekly, one for 6 weeks and the other for 10 weeks. Although both sisters temporarily discontinued treatment due to severe erythema and erosion, successful long-term clearance was observed with no recurrences in both cases.
Related Concept Videos
Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
Pigmentation
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Nucleotide Excision Repair
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
Acne Infection
Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells