Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma Located in the Head and Neck Region with Intralesional Interferon alpha-2a : Evaluation of Long-Term Follow-Up Results.

OBJECTIVE

Intralesional injections of interferon have been reported to provide successful results in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. However, there are only a few reports describing the long-term efficacy of this therapy. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and long-term results of interferon alpha-2a (IFNalpha-2a) in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

METHODS

Twenty dermatopathologically proven basal cell carcinoma lesions were treated with intralesional IFNalpha-2a injections three times weekly for 3 weeks. The dose per injection was 1.5 x 10(6)IU if the lesion was <2cm in diameter and 3.0 x 10(6) IU if it was >/=2cm. Eight weeks after the last injection, the lesion sites were rebiopsied and all cases were reevaluated both clinically and dermatopathologically. Patients with complete cure were followed up for 7 years to determine the long-term results.

RESULTS

Eleven lesions (55%) showed complete clinical and dermatopathological remission, six lesions (30%) showed partial remission, and two lesions (10%) showed no response. One lesion (5%) increased in size during the treatment. No serious adverse effects were observed. During the follow-up period there was only one recurrence, at the fifth year.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with intralesional IFNalpha-2a was shown to be an effective therapeutic option for basal cell carcinoma, with low recurrence rates in long-term follow-up.