Treatment of advanced, recurrent, resistant to previous treatments basal and squamous cell skin carcinomas with a synergistic formulation of interferons. Open, prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Aggressive non-melanoma skin cancer (deeply infiltrating, recurrent, and morphea form lesions) are therapeutically challenging because they require considerable tissue loss and may demand radical disfiguring surgery. Interferons (IFN) may provide a non-surgical approach to the management of these tumors. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of a formulation containing IFNs-alpha and -gamma in synergistic proportions on patients with recurrent, advanced basal cell (BCC) or squamous cell skin carcinomas (SCSC).


METHODS
Patients with extensive, recurrent, resistant to other procedures BCC or SCSC received the IFN formulation peri- and intralesionally, three times per week for 3 weeks. They had been previously treated with surgery and/or radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Thirteen weeks after the end of treatment, the original lesion sites were examined for histological evidence of remaining tumor.


RESULTS
Sixteen elder (median 70 years-old) patients were included. They beared 12 BCC and 4 SCSC ranging from 1.5 to 12.5 cm in the longest dimension. At the end of treatment 47% CR (complete tumor elimination), 40% PR (>30% tumor reduction), and 13% stable disease were obtained. None of the patients relapsed during the treatment period. The median duration of the response was 38 months. Only one patient with complete response had relapsed until today. Principal adverse reactions were influenza-like symptoms well known to occur with interferon therapy, which were well tolerated.


CONCLUSIONS
The peri- and intralesional combination of IFNs-alpha and -gamma was safe and showed effect for the treatment of advanced, recurrent and resistant to previous treatments of BCC and SCSC in elder patients. This is the first report of such treatment in patients with advance non-melanoma skin cancer. The encouraging result justifies further confirmatory trials.


BACKGROUND
Current Controlled Trials RPCEC00000052.
Anasagasti-Angulo
Lorenzo
L
National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, Havana, Cuba. uninor@infomed.sld.cu
Garcia-Vega
Yanelda
Y
Barcelona-Perez
Silvia
S
Lopez-Saura
Pedro
P
Bello-Rivero
Iraldo
I
D000368:Aged; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007372:Interferons