The association of cemiplimab plus sonidegib for synchronous cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Two case reports

Treatments on the horizon for locally advanced basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is one of the most common human cancers. Most cases of BCC are amenable to surgical and topical treatments with excellent prognosis if diagnosed timely and managed appropriately. However, in a small percentage of cases, it could be locally advanced BBC (laBCC) and not amenable to surgery or radiation, including recurrent, large tumors or tumors that invade deeper tissue. Hedgehog inhibitors (vismodegib and sonidegib) are approved as the first-line treatment of laBCC. PD-1 inhibitor immunotherapy (cemiplimab) is indicated for cases that progressed on or could not tolerate hedgehog inhibitors or when hedgehog inhibitors are contraindicated. Given the modest response and bothersome side effects of some of the agents above, there are reports of novel treatments, and clinical trials are currently evaluating multiple agents.

Molecular targeted therapies for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: recent developments and clinical implications

Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) is a common and potentially fatal type of skin cancer that poses a significant threat to public health and has a high prevalence rate. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the skin surface increases the risk of cSCC, especially in those with genetic syndromes like xerodermapigmentosum and epidermolysis bullosa. Therefore, understanding the molecular pathogenesis of cSCC is critical for developing personalized treatment approaches that are effective in cSCC. This article provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge of cSCC pathogenesis, emphasizing dysregulated signaling pathways and the significance of molecular profiling. Several limitations and challenges associated with conventional therapies, however, are identified, stressing the need for novel therapeutic strategies. The article further discusses molecular targets and therapeutic approaches, i.e., epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, hedgehog pathway inhibitors, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors, as well as emerging molecular targets and therapeutic agents. The manuscript explores resistance mechanisms to molecularly targeted therapies and proposes methods to overcome them, including combination strategies, rational design, and optimization. The clinical implications and patient outcomes of molecular-targeted treatments are assessed, including response rates and survival outcomes. The management of adverse events and toxicities in molecular-targeted therapies is crucial and requires careful monitoring and control. The paper further discusses future directions for therapeutic advancement and research in this area, as well as the difficulties and constraints associated with conventional therapies.

Basosquamous Carcinoma: Comprehensive Clinical and Histopathological Aspects, Novel Imaging Tools, and Therapeutic Approaches

Basosquamous carcinoma (BSC), an uncommon and aggressive nonmelanoma skin cancer exhibiting characteristics ranging from basal cell carcinoma (BCC) to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is a subject of controversy in terms of its classification, pathogenesis, histologic morphology, biologic behavior, prognosis, and management. This narrative review is based on an electronic search of English-language articles in PubMed that included the terms "basosquamous carcinoma" and/or "metatypical carcinoma of the skin" in their titles. The review aims to succinctly present and assess current data on the epidemiology, clinical presentation, dermoscopic, LC-OCT, and histopathologic characteristics, as well as the genetics and management of BSC, providing insight into this intriguing entity. As a conclusion, dermoscopy, deep incisional biopsies, and immunohistologic techniques should be applied in clinically suspicious lesions to achieve an early diagnosis and better prognosis of this tumor. Surgical treatments, including wide excision and Mohs' micrographic surgery, remain the treatment of choice. Finally, Hedgehog pathway inhibitors and checkpoint inhibitors, must be thoroughly investigated with large controlled trials, since they may offer an alternative solution to irresectable or difficult-to-treat locally advanced cases of basosquamous carcinoma.

Supraorbital Basosquamous Carcinoma Treated with Cemiplimab Followed by Sonidegib: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a skin cancer with low local aggressiveness and a low tendency to metastasize. Basosquamous Carcinoma (BSC) represents an aggressive histological subtype of BCC with intermediate features between Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and BCC. Cemiplimab is currently approved as first-line therapy in SCC and second-line therapy in BCC patients who have progressed on or are intolerant of a Hedgehog pathway Inhibitor (HHI). Our study describes the case of a 59-year-old man with BSC who was successfully treated with 5 cycles of Cemiplimab as first-line therapy and Sonidegib as second-line therapy. Currently, the efficacy of Cemiplimab against BSC and other histopathological subtypes of BCC has not been fully elucidated, as has the role of sequential or combination therapy with Cemiplimab and HHI in the management of BSC. The aim of this case report is to highlight the need to outline the use of checkpoint inhibitors in BCCs and focus attention on the synergistic role of Cemiplimab and HHIs in such a controversial entity as BSC.

Immunotherapy and Its Timing in Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma Treatment

For patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC), including locally advanced or metastatic BCC not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy, hedgehog pathway inhibitors (HHI) vismodegib and sonidegib are approved as first-line systemic treatment. Results from clinical trials highlight that the overall discontinuation rate of HHI treatment varies from 88% to 92% with vismodegib and is approximately 92% with sonidegib, and half of patients will discontinue HHI after approximately 8 to 12 months. The main factors weighing in on the decision to discontinue HHI include efficacy (tumor response), adverse events and patient decision. In clinical practice, some of the patients that stop HHI may be re-evaluated if the tumor becomes amenable to surgery, or restart HHI at a later time, while others will need to switch to immunotherapy, depending on the reasons for HHI discontinuation. In this review, we revisit the therapeutic decisions considering a switch from HHI to immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 agent cemiplimab and we highlight the place of cemiplimab in the therapeutic ladder for patients with advanced BCC. We discuss the evidence on the efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1 agents as second-line systemic monotherapy, or in combination with other treatments, and the emergence of checkpoint immunotherapy as a neoadjuvant treatment.