Long-term follow-up of patients with high-risk facial basal cell carcinoma treated with interferon^☆

Background  Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). When surgery is not a choice, only radiotherapy is recommended for patients with high-risk facial BCC. Interferon could be an acceptable therapeutic option for these patients.

Objective  To evaluate the long-term clinical response to interferon therapy in patients with high-risk facial BCC.

Methods  Patients with high-risk facial BCC were treated with perilesional injections of alpha-2b+ gamma interferons. Those with incomplete clinical response were reevaluated, their residual tumors excised, and declared cured. Patients treated with interferon and those treated with interferon plus surgery were followed for five years. Time to recurrence and the emergence of a new facial BCC were estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Adverse events were documented.

Results  This study included 195 participants; 143 (73.3%) showed a complete response (95% CI 67.2‒80.1). Patients developed recurrence after a mean of 55 months (95% CI 53.8‒57.4). The estimated rate of recurrence was 12.3% (95% CI 7.4‒17.1). Patients developed a new BCC after a mean of 52.7 months (95% CI 50.4‒54.9). The estimated rate for development of a new BCC was 20.0% (95% CI 14.4‒25.9). Fifteen (7.7%) patients abandoned the study during follow-up. Adverse events were frequent but moderate or mild; fever and local pain were the most frequent.

Study limitations  Observational cohort design without a control group for comparison.

Conclusions  Perilesional injections of alpha-2b+ gamma interferons in patients with facial high-risk BCC offer a satisfactory cure rate after five years of follow-up with an acceptable safety profile.

Keywords
Carcinoma, basal cell; Dermatology; Interferons; Therapeutics