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Phosphorus-32 skin patches effectively treated basal cell carcinoma

Radioactive skin patches that contained phosphorous-32 successfully treated facial basal cell carcinoma without patients requiring surgery or major radiation therapy, according to results presented recently at the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s 2012 annual meeting in Miami.

Ten patients (five male, five female), aged 32 to 74 years, had unifocal basal cell carcinoma (BCC) near their eyes, on their noses and on their forehead. Custom-made sealed patches containing 1 mCi/cm2 phosphorus-32 were applied to the patients’ lesions for 3 hours on an outpatient basis. After the initial application, the patches were reapplied on the fourth and seventh days for 3 hours each day, delivering a dose of approximately 100 Gy of radiation.

Biopsies were taken from the lesions’ centers and margins at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years after initial application. At 3 months, histopathological examinations of biopsies were negative for any residual malignancy in all 10 patients. Biopsies performed at 6 months showed BCC in two patients: one patient experienced residual BCC; the other patient had recurrence. The other eight patients’ biopsies remained negative for BCC during the 3-year follow-up. Healing occurred after initial minimal scarring of the tumor sites.

“Basal cell carcinoma treatment using P-32 skin patches resulted in complete resolution of BCC in eight out of 10 patients,” researchers said. “It can be concluded that radioactive skin bandages incorporating P-32 can be effectively used for treatment of superficial skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma.”

For more information:

Gupta P. Abstract #62: Basal cell carcinoma treatment using Phosphorus-32 skin patches: A three year follow up study. Presented at: the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s 2012 Annual Meeting; June 9, Miami.