title: Photodynamic therapy with delta-aminolaevulinic acid for nodular basal cell carcinomas using a prior debulking technique.
abstract: The incidence of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) is still increasing, and there is a demand for an easy, effective and selective non-invasive treatment such as topical photodynamic therapy (PDT). Twenty-three patients with 24 nodular BCCs were treated once with delta-aminolaevulinic acid (delta-ALA) PDT (100 mW cm(-2), 120 J/cm2) 3 weeks after prior debulking of the BCCs. Three months after PDT, all lesions were surgically excised and histopathologically evaluated for residual tumour. Twenty-two (92%) of the 24 nodular BCCs showed a complete response on clinical and histopathological examination. PDT for superficially abraded nodular BCCs with topically applied delta-ALA and the VersaLight as light source is an easy, effective and safe therapy, with excellent cosmetic results and no serious side-effects, in cases where non-surgical treatment of BCCs is indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands. mthis@sderm.azm.nl
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Thissen
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Schroeter
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Neumann
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery