Nonsurgical treatment options for basal cell carcinoma - focus on advanced disease

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in the world. It is typically slow growing and usually effectively managed with surgery. However, BCCs in some patients are unsuitable for surgery or the patient may prefer a nonsurgical treatment. Radiotherapy is a nonsurgical option for the primary treatment of either low- or high-risk BCCs. It is associated with high cure rates, albeit somewhat lower than those observed with Mohs micrographic surgery for high-risk BCCs. Not all patients with BCCs are suitable for radiotherapy. Superficial therapies for BCC include topical imiquimod or 5- fluorouracil and photodynamic therapy (PDT). These therapies are generally associated with somewhat lower clearance rates and/or higher recurrence rates than surgery or radiotherapy, although they may be suitable in patients with low-risk BCCs when surgery or radiotherapy are impractical or less appropriate. An appealing feature of PDT is excellent cosmesis, but PDT is not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and regimens are not well standardized. Vismodegib is a first-in-class hedgehog pathway inhibitor and recent addition to the armamentarium for the treatment of advanced BCC.