Download Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma

Background information
July 2013
Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of non-melanoma skin cancer in the United States,
Europe and Australia1,2,3
•
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a slow-growing skin cancer typically caused by long term and/or
occasionally excessive exposure to the sun.4
•
BCC accounts for as many as 80 percent of all non-melanoma skin cancers.5 It is estimated that about 10
million people worldwide are diagnosed with BCC every year.6
Advanced BCC is very rare
•
Patients with BCC may progress and develop a more advanced form of the disease if lesions are left
untreated, do not respond to or are not appropriate for surgery or radiotherapy.
•
Advanced BCC describes a stage of disease when lesions associated with the common and usually curable
skin cancer BCC, have either invaded the surrounding tissue (locally advanced), or spread to other parts
of the body (metastatic).4,7
•
While it is estimated that about 10 million people worldwide are diagnosed with BCC every year, the
number of patients who develop advanced BCC is relatively low, estimated at less than one percent of
these patients.4,6
UV exposure is one of the main risk factors for BCC
•
Risk factors for BCC include
o
UV exposure, particularly for those with fair skin or skin that does not tan easily4 or who spend a
lot of time in the sun8
o
A genetic predisposition called Gorlin syndrome that can result in the development of multiple
basal cell carcinomas9
•
o
Exposure to radiation9
o
Exposure to arsenic (historically through water contamination)9
o
Chronic immunosuppression following organ transplant10
BCC typically develops on the head, neck and back of the hands. It is especially common on the face,
often forming on the nose, but it is possible to get BCC on any part of the body, including the trunk, legs
and arms.11
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Switzerland
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Advanced BCC can be disfiguring and potentially life-threatening
•
Advanced BCC has a unique impact on each patient because in many cases the disease either cannot be
treated effectively with radiotherapy or surgery, or a surgical intervention may require extensive head,
face or neck surgery. For instance, depending on the location of the lesion, the patient can lose their nose
or eye.12 Those whose disease has metastasised have a median survival of only eight to ten months.13,14
Roche Group Media Relations:
+41-61-688 88 88
July 2013
This document was prepared in July 2013. Due to on-going research and development, the information in this media backgrounder may
change. To ensure you have the latest version of this document, contact the Media Relations department at Roche or email the Media
Relations contact.
References
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Br J Dermatol 2008;159:35-48.
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2009;361:1164-72.
3. Gilbody JS, Aitken J, Green A. What causes basal cell carcinoma to be the commonest cancer? Aust J Public Health 1994;18:218-21.
4. Walling HW, Fosko SW, Geraminejad PA, Whitaker DC, Arpey CJ. Aggressive basal cell carcinoma: presentation, pathogenesis,
and management. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2004;23:389-402.
5. Sekulic A, Migden MR, Oro AE, et al. Efficacy and safety of vismodegib in advanced basal-cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med
2012;366:2171-9.
6. Lucas R, McMichael T, Smith W, Armstrong B. Solar ultraviolet radiation: global burden of disease from solar ultraviolet radiation.
Geneva: WHO 2006. Available at: http://www.who.int/uv/health/solaruvradfull_180706.pdf. Last accessed July 2013.
7. Joshi AD, Forsyth MT, Fryefield DC, et al. Demographic and treatment characteristics for advanced basal cell carcinoma (aBCC) in
an oncology outpatient setting. J Clin Oncol 2011;29(15, Suppl): abstract e19001.
8. Skin Cancer Foundation. Basal cell carcinoma - causes and risk factors. Available at: http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancerinformation/basal-cell-carcinoma/bcc-causes-and-risk-factors. Last accessed May 2013.
9. Bader R. Basal Cell Carcinoma. Available at: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/276624-overview#a0156. Last accessed July
2013.
10. Rubin AI, Chen EH, Ratner D. Basal-cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med 2005;353:2262–9.
11. Amercian Academy of Dermatology. Basal cell carcinoma. Available at: http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-andtreatments/a---d/basal-cell-carcinoma. Last accessed May 2013.
12. Amin SH, Tibes R, Kim JE, Hybarger CP. Hedgehog antagonist GDC-0449 is effective in the treatment of advanced basal cell
carcinoma. Laryngoscope 2010;120:2456–9.
13. Costanza ME, Dayal Y, Binder S, Nathanson L. Metastatic basal cell carcinoma: review, report of a case, and chemotherapy.
Cancer 1974;34:230-5.
14. Von Domarus H, Stevens PJ. Metastatic basal cell carcinoma. Report of five cases and review of 170 cases in the literature. J Am
Acad Dermatol. 1984;10:1043-60.
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