Don’t forget about intralesional therapy as a treatment option for cutaneous malignancies, including non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers, says Dr. Vishal A. Patel, director of cutaneous oncology at the GW Cancer Center. Next Steps in Derm, in partnership with ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical Conference, interviewed Dr. Patel, who shared in which patients intralesional therapy may be the best treatment option. Hear how intralesional therapy may provide an extra “boost” in certain melanoma patients. Plus watch as he shares additional advances in the pipeline that can position dermatologists at the forefront of cutaneous malignancy treatment.
Further Reading
If you want to read more about intralesional therapy for cutaneous malignancies, check out the following articles published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology:
ABSTRACT
Background: Intralesional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a promising, yet sparsely studied alternative to surgical treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC).1 Previous studies of intralesional 5-FU have reported concentrations ranging from 30 to 50 mg/mL. To the best of our knowledge, this case series represents the first reported use of intralesional 5-FU 10.0 mg/mL and 16.7 mg/mL for NMSC.
Methods: A retrospective chart review identified 11 patients who received intralesional 5-FU 10.0 mg/mL and 16.7 mg/mL for 40 cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and 10 keratoacanthomas. We describe the characteristics of these patients and calculate the clinical clearance rate of dilute intralesional 5-FU therapy for NMSC at our institution.
Results: Dilute intralesional 5-FU successfully treated 96% (48/50) of the study lesions, providing complete clinical clearance in 82% (9/11) of patients across a mean follow-up time of 21.7 months. All patients tolerated their treatments well with no reported adverse effects or local recurrences.
Discussion: The use of more dilute preparations of intralesional 5-FU for NMSC may be a means of reducing cumulative dose and dose-dependent adverse reactions while maintaining clinical clearance.
Intralesional and Laser-Assisted 5-Fluorouracil in Dermatologic Disease: A Systematic Review
ABSTRACT
Introduction: 5-fluorouracil has proven to be an effective therapy in the treatment of a variety of dermatologic conditions. Approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the topical treatment of actinic keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinoma, 5-fluorouracil has also demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of a variety of other dermatologic diseases. While best known for its use as a topical medication, 5-fluorouracil can also be delivered intralesionally for the treatment of dermatologic disease. Recently, laser-assisted modalities for increased delivery of 5-fluorouracil have also been described.
Methods: A search of the MEDLINE standard computer database, MEDLINE advanced database, and EMBASE database was conducted.
Results: 38 articles met criteria for inclusion in this review. These articles represented 14 randomized controlled trials and 24 case series. Each article was reviewed and summarized. The main limitation of this review is the limited number of large randomized controlled trials, as well as the non-uniformity in treatment regimens between studies.
Discussion: Intralesional and laser-assisted 5-fluorouracil are used in a variety of dermatologic disease processes with a wide range of efficacy and levels of evidence. Based on extent and level of evidence, our disease-specific systematic review found that the evidence is strongest for intralesional 5-FU use in the treatment of keloids, hypertrophic scars, and keratoacanthomas. This review serves as a comprehensive summary of intralesional and laser-assisted 5-fluorouracil use in dermatology.
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