New Cream Treats Basal Cell Cancers

A prescription cream recently approved to treat select superficial basal cell carcinomas (sBCCs) may provide an alternative to skin surgery in certain cases. The FDA approved 3M’s Aldara (imiquimod) in July.

Dermatologist Craig Elmets, M.D., one of the investigators in its clinical trials, says imiquimod will be “useful for treating patients in whom surgical procedures are difficult, including elderly patients, patients with sBCCs at cosmetically sensitive areas where scarring is a concern, and patients who don’t want surgery.”

The patient applies it before sleeping, five times weekly for six weeks. “Applying cream isn’t hard for an elderly person, and is easier than caring for a post-surgical wound.” Most people will still elect simple destructive techniques, which themselves carry a very high rate of cure.