title: Imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of Bowen's disease and invasive squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Imiquimod has been successfully used for treatment of various epithelial cutaneous neoplasms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of imiquimod 5% cream for treatment of Bowen's disease and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients who were unsuitable candidates for surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five Bowen's disease lesions and 7 invasive SCC lesions on 10 patients were treated with imiquimod once daily 5 times a week for a maximum of 16 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 8 to 12 weeks of treatment, 4 of 5 Bowen's disease lesions (80%) and 5 of 7 invasive SCCs (71.4%) showed complete clinicopathologic regression. The remaining 3 lesions showed partial regression after 16 weeks of treatment. No recurrence has been detected after a follow-up period of 24 to 38 months (mean, 31 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study is an open-label clinical trial on a small number of selected patients, with lack of excision with serial step sections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Topical application of imiquimod 5% cream might represent an alternative topical treatment to surgery in selected cases of Bowen's disease and invasive SCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of L'Aquila, Italy. peris@univaq.it
authors.forename: Ketty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peris
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Micantonio
authors.forename: Maria Concetta
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fargnoli
authors.forename: Gian Piero
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Lozzi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chimenti
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001913:Bowen's Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077271:Imiquimod; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000634:Aminoquinolines; D000077271:Imiquimod