Section : Articles

Inoperable Skin Cancers: Use of Vismodegib and Radiotherapy

  • Basal Cell Carcinoma is know to be physiopathologically generated by an activation of the sonic hedgehog  pathway.
  • Vismodegib is an inhibitor of smoothened (SMO*) and is proposed as an adjuvant therapy before radiotherapy here after a successful case report: it was used as a therapy for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which are locally invasive.
  • It is interesting to read the therapeutical effect of radiotherapy for SCCs which can be generated by visnodegib therapy

*a molecule of the sonic hedgehog pathway For full access to the free article in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), click here JAAD: click here to view abstracts from the current edition, articles in press, most cited articles and top 25 articles. Contributors Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland Source of information: Compassionate use of vismodegib and adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of multiple locally advanced and inoperable basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin. Gathings RM, Orscheln CS, Huang WW. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014 Apr;70(4):e88-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2013.11.032.