Guidelines of care developed for skin cancer management

(HealthDay)—Guidelines of care have been developed for the management of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), according to two reports published online Jan. 10 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Christopher Bichakjian, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues provided recommendations for management of patients with BCC and reviewed the literature to support these recommendations. The researchers discuss biopsy techniques for suspicious lesions and recommendations for histopathologic interpretation. The best available risk stratification for recurrence was reviewed, as no formal staging system exists. Recommendations on treatment modalities were provided on a broad therapeutic spectrum, from topical agents and superficially destructive modalities to surgical techniques and systemic therapy. Recommendations on prevention and appropriate follow-up were also presented.

Murad Alam, M.D., from Northwestern University in Chicago, and colleagues provided evidence-based recommendations for management of cSCC. The guidelines address biopsy techniques and histopathologic assessment, staging of tumors, surgical and nonsurgical management, follow-up, prevention of recurrence, and advanced disease management. The main focus is limited to primary cSCC and localized disease, but applicability to recurrent disease is noted, as well as information on management of metastatic disease.

"The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific therapy must be made by the physician and the patient in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient, and the known variability and biologic behavior of the disease," Alam and colleagues write.

Several authors from both reports disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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