Vismodegib For Treatment Of Patients With Basal Cell Carcinoma

Editor's Choice Main Category: Cancer / Oncology Article Date: 11 Jun 2012 - 11:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'Vismodegib For Treatment Of Patients With Basal Cell Carcinoma'

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), found that vismodegib healed visible lesions or shrank tumors in 30% of patients whose cancer had metastasized and in 43% of patients with locally advanced BCC.

Although BCC is the most prevalent type of skin cancer in Europe, there are currently no approved drugs for advanced BCC available in the UK.

BCCs, which almost always occur on parts of the body excessively exposed to the sun, can cause disfigurement if not treated promptly and can also develop into a potentially life threatening advanced form of BCC.

Dr John Lear, Consultant Dermatologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary, explained:

According to the researchers, 9.5 months was the median duration of progression-free survival (PFS) among patients taking vismodegib. In addition, they found that the most common side effects included:

Written By Grace Rattue Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Grace Rattue. "Vismodegib For Treatment Of Patients With Basal Cell Carcinoma." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 11 Jun. 2012. Web. 11 Jun. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246410.php>

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Vismodegib For Treatment Of Patients With Basal Cell Carcinoma