Treatment of basal cell carcinoma with intralesional interferon alfa-2b: an open-label clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous cancer. We report the efficacy and aesthetic outcome of intralesional IFN-α 2b injection for the treatment of BCC and compare with the surgical method.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Intralesional IFN-α 2b was injected in 58 BCC lesions from 20 patients three times a week for three weeks. Control group was retrospectively selected among patients who underwent surgical method (standard surgical excision) for BCC including 58 lesions from 24 patients. All patients were followed up for one year in terms of recurrence and cosmetic outcome.

RESULTS

Two patients (four lesions) failed to complete the treatment period. After three weeks, 40 (68.96%) lesions were completely cured. Nine (15.51%) lesions achieved complete healing in less than 9 sessions. Five (8.62%) lesions were completely cured by an extra week of injection. In aggregate, complete healing was observed in 54 (93.10%) lesions. In the surgery group, complete lesion elimination was detected in 52 (89.65%) lesions (p = 0.40). After one year, cosmetic outcome was significantly more favorable in the study group compared to the surgery group (p = 0.003). Recurrence was not detected in any of the groups after one year follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Intralesional IFN-α 2b injection is an appropriate treatment choice for BCC.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY

We used Iranian registery of Clinical trials; The IRCT code is: 2017093017756N30.

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Ichthyosis follicularis (IF) manifests as generalized spiny follicular projections found in syndromic diseases secondary to SREBF1 and MBTPS2 mutations. We sought the genetic cause of IF in two distinct families from a cohort of 180 ichthyosis patients. In Family 1, the proband presented with IF, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and punctate palmoplantar keratoderma, and compound heterozygous GJB2 mutations were discovered in DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes: GJB2:c.526A>G and c.35delG. In Family 2, the proband presented with a previously unreported IF phenotype in the context of KID syndrome, and whole-exome sequencing found a de novo heterozygous GJB2:c.148G>A mutation. Histopathology was consistent with porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct nevus (PEODDN) and IF in Probands 1 and 2, respectively. Our findings add to the clinical and histopathological spectrum of IF and emphasize the association of PEODDN-like entities with GJB2 variants.

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