A Non-Interventional Study on Vismodegib for Basal Cell Carcinoma in Swedish Patients

Real-life data on vismodegib in advanced basal cell carcinoma (aBCC) are limited. Optimal treatment duration is left to the discretion of the physician.

To assess the effectiveness, safety and treatment pattern for vismodegib in aBCC in clinical practice.

In this multicenter, non-interventional, prospective study, 49 Swedish patients planned for vismodegib treatment were included. The treatment pattern observed was treatment until remission, allowing unlimited discontinuations/pauses.

The majority of patients (93.8%), discontinued at least once during the study. Compared to earlier studies there was a decrease of more than 2 months with actual drug intake, reducing the patients burden and costs, at the same time as a high number of responses were seen (87.8%). Median progression-free-survival was 16.7 months, and 90% of the patients were alive at 13.3 months. Ten patients were re-challenged with vismodegib at recurrence or progression, resulting in five partial remissions and three complete remissions.

Clinical response rates with vismodegib for aBCC were comparable to those of similar trials despite a shorter and more intermittent treatment duration. The majority of re-challenges lead to partial or complete remissions.