Melanoma drug reduces disfiguring surgery for basal cell cancer
CANCER DIGEST – Feb. 2, 2025 – Using a drug already approved for treating superficial melanomas, researchers in Vienna have found that injecting the drug into basal cell tumors kills cancer cells, activates the immune system and allows for a smaller incision to remove the tumor, thus reducing scarring.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer caused by chronic exposure to sunlight, which most often affects the face and neck. Locally advanced tumors can be difficult to treat surgically, as it can be disfiguring, and often needs skin grafts to reconstruct the treated area.
In the study published in the Jan. 16, 2025 Nature Cancer 18 patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma were treated with six injections of Talimogene Laherparepvec (TVEC) into the tumors over a period of 13 weeks before surgery to remove the tumor. All of the patients had such large tumors that removing them would ordinarily require reconstructive surgery. The goal was to shrink the tumor to allow for a much smaller incisions to remove it.
Talimogene Laherparepvec (TVEC) is a genetically engineered herpes simplex virus that is designed to specifically destroy cancer cells and stimulate the immune system. It is currently FDA approved for use in treating superficial lesions that have spread from malignant melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.
The results showed that the drug reduced the size of tumors to such an extent in half of the patients that direct wound closure after surgery was possible with no need for any grafted tissue. In a third of the patients a microscopic exam showed no living tumor cells remained after surgery. In all the patients the tumors shrank allowing for less extensive surgery. In addition, no tumors grew after the therapy.
First author of the study Julia Ressler, of the Department of Dermatology at the Medical University of Vienna said pretreatment with TVEC improved surgery outcomes.
"The new treatment option for basal cell carcinoma can not only simplify surgery," Ressler said in a press release, "but also help to avoid disfiguring operations and functional limitations."
The authors say the results of their study suggest that adding TVEC prior to surgery for basal cell carcinoma could play a role in reducing disfiguring surgery as well as could benefit patients for whom surgery should be avoided.
Sources: Medical University of Vienna press release and the journal Nature Cancer
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