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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Abstract
Background The use of imiquimod for the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) in actual conditions
of the daily practice has been poorly studied.
Objective A prospective, observational and multicentre study was designed to gather information on the
effectiveness and safety of imiquimod therapy in patients with sBCC in daily practice. Patients satisfaction with
imiquimod was also assessed.
Methods A total of 370 adult patients with sBCC were included in the study. Patients were treated with imiquimod
5% cream five times per week for 6 weeks. A maximum of three lesions per patient were treated. Patients were
requested to complete diary cards to register treatment-related events and had a final visit within 16 weeks after the
end of treatment.
Results Target sBCCs included 471 tumours, with a mean (SD) 1.3 (0.6) lesions per patient. Most sBCC were
primary tumours (92.6%). Tumours were clinically diagnosed in 63.2% of cases and histologically confirmed in
36.8%. Previous sBCC had occurred in 42% of the patients. The mean number of daily applications of imiquimod
was 1.0 (0.1) for a mean of 4.9 (0.5) days per week. The mean duration of treatment was 6.0 (1.0) weeks. In 13
patients (14 target sBCCs), rest periods were indicated with a mean of 5.0 (2.8) rest days. The clearance rate was
83.2%. Clearance rate was independent of the tumour size. Local skin reactions (mostly erythema) occurred in 85%
of cases (mild 37%, moderate 39% and severe 24%). Nine patients discontinued imiquimod treatment because of
severity of application site reactions. Most patients (82.1%) were very satisfied or satisfied with imiquimod.
Conclusions The present data from a prospective study carried out in a community setting adds evidence of the
usefulness and favourable clinical profile of imiquimod 5% cream when administered for treating sBCC.
Received: 31 January 2010; Accepted: 10 January 2011
Conflicts of interest
Dr. Esteban Dauden has the following conflict of interests: Advisory Board member, consultant, grants, research
support, participation in clinical trials, honorarium for speaking, research support, with the following pharmaceutical
companies: Abbott, Astellas, Biogen, Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., Galderma, Glaxo, Janssen-Cilag, Leo Pharma,
Merck-Serono, Novartis, Pfizer, Schering-Plough, Stiefel, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 3M.
Funding sources
This study was sponsored by MEDA Pharma, Madrid, Spain.
available as a 5% cream is approved in different countries for use dermatologists prescribed imiquimod in accordance with the
in sBCC using a regimen of once daily, five times per week for product technical specifications. The study was carried out at the
6 weeks. Imiquimod acts as a Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7 agonist outpatient clinics of the services of dermatology of different hospi-
stimulating the dendritic cells in the epidermis and dermis to tals throughout Spain in the routine clinical setting. The partici-
release interferon a and other cytokines. It is thought to exert its pating centres belonged to the public Spanish National Health
anti-tumour effect via modification of the innate and cell-mediated Care System. A total of 92 dermatologists from 32 hospitals agreed
immune response pathway with activity against tumour cells to participate voluntarily in the study. Ten patients per site had to
resulting in apoptosis.4,5 be enrolled over a 3-month period.
Data from clinical trials with imiquimod 5% cream for the The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of
treatment of sBCC have shown encouraging results with short- the participating centres and the local agencies of the Autonomous
term clearance rates (clinical and histological combined) in the Communities. All patients were fully informed about the charac-
range between 73% and 90%.615 In two identical randomized, teristics of treatment with imiquimod 5% cream and gave written
double-blind vehicle-controlled phase III studies, subjects with informed consent.
one sBCC were dosed with imiquimod or vehicle cream once daily
5 or 7 times per week for 6 weeks. The difference in clearance rates Patients
between the two imiquimod dosing groups was not statistically Between 1st January 2006 and 31st March 2007, all consecutive
significant and according to these results, the five times per week patients of both sexes aged 18 years or older, with histologically
regimen was recommended.9 On the other hand, in large phase III proven sBCC or lesions clinically consistent with sBCC in which
studies the histological clearance rates have been consistently treatment with imiquimod 5% cream was indicated by the derma-
found to be higher than the clinically observed clearance rate.9,10 tologist in charge according to the product technical specifications
In a 5-year long-term follow-up study carried out in Europe, the were eligible, provided that they gave written informed consent
estimate of overall treatment success for all treated patients at the and were able to understand and follow the study procedures.
end of follow-up was 78% (81% if histological data were consid- Patients with other subtypes of BCC were excluded as were those
ered).16 Application site reactions, which are the most common in whom the use of imiquimod was contraindicated according to
adverse effects, are seen in up to 87% of patients treated for sBCCs the product technical specifications. Pregnant women and nursing
with imiquimod applied five times per week for 6 weeks.17 The mothers were also excluded.
most common local site reactions are erythema, oedema, indura-
tion, erosion, scaling, crusting, pruritus and burning sensations. In Study procedures and data collection
some patients, the severity of application site reaction warrants The study was based on a first (baseline) visit, a variable number of
transient discontinuation of treatment. Rest periods, however, do follow-up visits during and after treatment with topical imiquimod
not affect the efficacy of treatment. scheduled by the participating dermatologist according to his her
Imiquimod trials and several published clinical series provide practice, and a final visit at 3 months to assess the effectiveness of
evidence of the benefits of imiquimod therapy for sBCC. However, treatment within a maximum interval of 16 weeks after the end of
there is limited data on the use of imiquimod 5% cream in routine treatment. Baseline and final visits were mandatory by study proto-
daily practice. To our knowledge, no previous study carried out in col. The baseline visit was the initiation of treatment with imiqui-
a community setting in a large sample of patients with sBCC trea- mod 5% cream (12.5 mg imiquimod in monodose sachets of
ted with imiquimod has been reported. Therefore, a nationwide 250 mg cream) (Aldara, 3M Espana, Madrid, Spain). The rec-
prospective multicentre study was conducted with two aims: (i) to ommended dosing frequency was once daily five times per week
assess the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of treatment with (5 times per week) for 6 weeks prior to normal sleeping hours. The
imiquimod 5% cream for sBCC in conditions of daily practice, cream was to remain on the skin for at least 8 h without occlusion,
and (ii) to determine patients satisfaction with topical imiquimod and then removed with mild soap and water. Dermatologists could
application. prescribe treatment-free rest periods at their own decision. A maxi-
mum of three sBCCs per patient were selected for treatment.
Methods At the first visit the following variables were recorded: demo-
graphics, underlying chronic diseases and use of concomitant med-
Study design ications, previous sBCC (site and treatment), and characteristics of
A prospective, observational and multicentre study was designed the target lesion(s), such as date and diagnostic method, site, size,
to assess the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of imiquimod 5% primary or recurrent sBCC, previous treatment, and date of start-
cream for the treatment of patients with sBCC in conditions of ing imiquimod. Patients were given a diary card, one per sBCC to
daily dermatological practice. Secondary objectives of the study be treated, to register all days in which imiquimod was applied,
were the assessment of the patients satisfaction with topical imiq- missed doses and rest days (according to the prescribed regimen or
uimod and compliance with treatment as well as to assess whether as a result of local site reactions). Clinical evolution of lesions, local
skin reactions and their treatment, rest periods, adverse events Subjects screened, n = 373
(AEs) and compliance with treatment were recorded in the follow-
up visits. At the final visit, effectiveness of imiquimod 5% cream sBCC diagnosis not confirmed, n = 2
and patients satisfaction with treatment were also evaluated. Missed baseline data, n = 1
Extremely satisfied strict requirements imposed in phase III clinical trials. Moreover,
Satisfied in accordance with the objective of the study to assess how derma-
Somewhat satisfied tologist used imiquimod 5% cream for sBCC in their routine
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied practices, there were no restrictions regarding excluding patients
Somewhat dissatisfied with recurrent lesions or concomitant malignancies or immuno-
Dissatisfied suppression. All patients were visited at 3 months but visits at 6
Extremely dissatisfied and 12 months were not scheduled because assessment of recur-
rences was not the purpose of the study. However, there is a need
0 10 20 30 40 50 for continued follow-up of these patients as recurrences can occur
Figure 3 Patients satisfaction with imiquimod treatment of later than 3 months post-treatment. On the other hand, our find-
superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) (data in percentages). ings of a similar clearance rate for primary and recurrent tumours
may be related to the small number of recurrent lesions in this
study.
At the final visit, diary cards were collected in 206 cases On the other hand, the present findings support the effective-
(46.2%). Compliance with treatment was very high, with applica- ness of topical imiquimod in sBCC located on the face. In contrast
tion of topical imiquimod for a mean of 31.1 (16.7) days and 7.7 to target tumour locations in clinical trials predominating in the
(9.3) days off. The mean number of missed doses was 0.3 (0.8) trunk and extremities,9,10 the face was the most common site in
days. Compliance >80% with imiquimod regimen was observed our study followed by the trunk and extremities. In this respect,
in 99% of the patients. the effectiveness of imiquimod was unrelated to size and location
of lesions.
Discussion Application site reactions occurred in a high percentage of cases
The therapeutic potential of imiquimod in clinical practice has (85%) but the intensity was mild or moderate in most of them.
been recognized for the past decade. Following an approved indi- These consisted largely of erythema followed by erosion, crusting
cation for the treatment of external genital warts, imiquimod 5% and oedema, and in general were managed adequately with rest
topical cream has received further approval for treating actinic periods. The fact that rest periods were only indicated in 3.3% of
keratosis and small sBCC in adults. Currently, imiquimod 5% top- the tumours (with a mean of five rest days) is a further indicator
ical cream is a widely studied and characterized TLR-7 agonist of the mild intensity of local site reactions. However, in nine
available in the clinical milieu.18,19 The present prospective and (2.4%) patients, local skin reactions were severe enough to cause
multicentre study carried out in a large sample of patients with discontinuation. In a pooled analysis of two phase III, random-
sBCC provides data on the effectiveness and safety of imiquimod ized, vehicle-controlled studies,9 4% of subjects in the imiquimod
topical therapy in real life conditions. To our knowledge, no previ- five times per week group discontinued because of an AE or local
ous prospective study in a large sample of patients with sBCC trea- site reaction. In this study, it was observed that the proportion of
ted with imiquimod in actual conditions of the daily practice has subjects experiencing application site reactions during the treat-
been reported. Therefore, this study adds descriptive information ment period was significantly higher in the seven times per week
on the use of this immune response modulator in patients seeking imiquimod group compared with the five times per week group.9
medical care at dermatological clinics in Spain. The present find- In this study, the five times per week dosing regimen was used.
ings may be useful to gather postapproval safety and efficacy data. Moreover, deviations from the product technical specifications in
In this clinical series of 370 patients, with a total of 471 target the number of applications per week were recorded in only 8.3%
sBCCs treated with imiquimod 5% cream, a clearance rate of of cases (39 471 target sBCC). This finding is clinically relevant
83.2% was obtained. In the majority of patients, the final outcome and confirms the correct prescription of imiquimod.
was defined clinically only (clinical clearance rate of 94.9%), histo- Despite the fact that the high prevalence of application site reac-
logically in 3.2% of cases and clinically and histologically in 1.9% tions noted in daily practice conditions, the degree of patients sat-
of cases. The high clearance rate confirms the efficacy of imiqui- isfaction with imiquimod was very high (82% of patients were
mod for treating sBCC reported in clinical trials.6,8,9,14,16,20 The very satisfied or satisfied), which may be explained by the high
fact that the final outcome was histologically defined in only 19 clearance rate and the mild intensity of local skin reactions. In two
patients supports the dermatologists ability to clinically determine studies evaluating the use of imiquimod for the treatment of exter-
that the tumour is gone at the end of treatment and that clinical nal genital warts, patients satisfaction was 86.5% and 89.1%
clearance is ultimately used in clinical practice. On the other hand, respectively.21,22 Patients satisfaction with the use of topical imiq-
the low rate of histological confirmation is related to the naturalis- uimod in sBCC has not been addressed in previous studies.
tic design of the study. Because the study was carried out in daily In our study, a compliance of more than 80% with imiquimod
practice conditions, no indications regarding histological assess- regimen was found in 99% of the patients. This high compliance
ment of the final outcome were predefined, which is different than rate should be interpreted with caution, taking into account that
diary cards were only collected for 46% of the target tumours. 4-week period: a case series. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2009; 23:
However, no previous data on compliance with imiquimod ther- 828831.
16 Gollnick H, Barona CG, Frank RG et al. Recurrence rate of superficial
apy in patients with sBCC in routine daily practice have been basal cell carcinoma following treatment with imiquimod 5% cream:
reported. conclusion of a 5-year long-term follow-up study in Europe. Eur J
In summary, the present data from a prospective, observational Dermatol 2008; 18: 677682.
17 Sapijaszko MJ. Imiquimod 5% cream (Aldara) in the treatment of basal
and multicentre study carried out in daily practice conditions adds
cell carcinoma. Skin Therapy Lett 2005; 10: 25.
evidence for the usefulness and favourable clinical profile of imiq- 18 Novak N, Yu CF, Bieber T, Allam JP. Toll-like receptor 7 agonists and
uimod 5% cream when used for the treatment of sBCC. skin. Drug News Perspect 2008; 21: 158165.
19 Gaspari A, Tyring SK, Rosen T. Beyond a decade of 5% imiquimod
topical therapy. J Drugs Dermatol 2009; 8: 467474.
Acknowledgements
20 Gollnick H, Barona CG, Frank RG et al. Recurrence rate of superficial
The authors are grateful to Patricia Ramrez, DPharm, Medical basal cell carcinoma following successful treatment with imiquimod 5%
Department, MEDA Pharma, for valuable support in the logis- cream: interim 2-year results from an ongoing 5-year follow-up study
tics aspects of the study and critical comments of the final in Europe. Eur J Dermatol 2005; 15: 374381.
21 Vilata JJ, Badia X. Effectiveness, satisfaction and compliance with imiq-
draft and Marta Pulido, MD, for editing the manuscript and uimod in the treatment of external anogenital warts. Int J STD AIDS
editorial assistance. 2003; 14: 1117.
22 Hoyme UB, Hagedorn M, Schindler AE et al. Effect of adjuvant imiqui-
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