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Neoadjuvant vismodegib therapy may reduce BCC surgical defect area

When taken for 3 months or longer for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, neoadjuvant vismodegib appeared to reduce surgical defect area, according to study results.

In an open-label, single-arm intervention study, researchers sought to determine the change in target tumor surgical defect area pre- and post-vismodegib in 11 adult patients.

After a mean of 4 months of treatment with vismodegib 150 mg/day, 13 target tumors were excised. Four of 14 patients could not complete more than 3 months of treatment due to treatment-related side effects, according to the researchers.

Baseline mean target-tumor diameter was 3.2 cm, and 10 of 13 tumors occurred on the face. The researchers found that, on average, vismodegib reduced the surgical defect area by 27% from baseline. However, vismodegib was not effective in patients who were treated for fewer than 3 months.

Mean follow-up for all tumors was 11.5 months, and only one tumor reoccurred at 17 months post-Mohs micrographic surgery.

All patients experienced mild, grade-1 side effects to some extent, including dysgeusia, muscle cramps, fatigue, diarrhea, weight loss of less than 5% body weight, depressed mood and reversible amenorrhea. All patients also experienced alopecia, with seven patients having less than 50% hair loss and four with 50% hair loss or more, according to the researchers.

Patients were given the option of taking vismodegib for up to 6 months, but most patients declined because of the reversible alopecia that resulted from treatment.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.