Imiquimod: topical therapy hits the spot in BCC

Imiquimod [Aldara], a topical immune response modifier, is effective in the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC), including in patients with large or multiple lesions, according to studies presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology [Washington DC, US; February 2004].* Data from two US phase III studies indicate that imiquimod 5% cream eradicated superficial BCC lesions, with histological response rates of approximately 80% in the intent-to-treat population. Imiquimod demonstrated consistent efficacy across a broad range of patient subgroups, including age, skin type, tumour location and tumour size. Other phase III studies showed that the effects of imiquimod were durable, with > 90% of clinical clearances sustained after 12 months' follow-up. In two phase II studies also presented at the meeting, imiquimod was shown to be effective in the treatment of patients with large tumours and multiple lesions, respectively, with no new safety concerns arising from the increased exposure to the drug. Cosmetic outcomes were "acceptable" in these studies, with most patients having no significant differences from baseline in skin quality parameters in the treated area 12 weeks after completing treatment.