Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer. Physical removal of lesions on the skin does not reduce an individual’s risk of disease, according to a Jan. 2 news release from the health system.
“One of the unique challenges with squamous cell carcinoma is that individuals who develop it are at an increased risk of developing multiple new lesions over time. This makes prevention an essential part of care,” Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD, associate professor in the dermatology department at Somerville, Mass.-based Massachusetts General Hospital and the Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, said in the release.
Dr. Demehri and his team enrolled 18 patients to evaluate the mechanism behind a topical immunotherapy treatment on precancerous skin lesions.
Here are five notes from the study:
- The topical treatment, a combination of 0.0025% calcipotriol and 2.5% 5-FU, was used to eliminate precancerous lesions by activating a patient’s own immune response.
Participants applied the treatment to affected skin areas twice a day for six days. Skin biopsies were performed on each patient before treatment, one day after the last treatment day, and eight weeks post-treatment.
- The treatment eliminated 95% of precancerous lesions on the face and removed 100% of facial lesions for 7 in 10 patients.
The treatment eliminated 82% of spots on the scalp, and 65% to 68% of spots on the upper extremities.
Researchers also collected skin biopsies for five years after trial completion and found that the effects of the immunotherapy drug had persisted.
- Redness and inflammation were reported around the precancerous lesions during treatment, though healthy skin was not affected. The side effects were resolved within four weeks.
- When studying the patient skin biopsies, researchers found high CD4+ T cell activity where precancerous lesions had been removed, providing insight to the mechanism behind the immune response.
“We found that this drug combination prevents cancer through a mechanism distinct from those used by current immunotherapies, suggesting that these drugs may treat and prevent cancer via distinct mechanisms,” Dr. Demehri said.
- The trial evaluated the immune response of patients with “competent immune systems,” the release said. Researchers are working on a clinical trial to evaluate the immunotherapy drug’s effectiveness for immunocompromised individuals.
Read the complete study here.
