IngentaConnect Bowen's Disease (Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Situ) in Immunosuppre...

Authors: Smith, Kathleen J.¹; Germain, Margeruite¹; Skelton, Henry²

Source: Dermatologic Surgery, Volume 27, Number 2, February 2001 , pp. 143-146(4)

Abstract:

Background.

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) often have a protracted course. However, all these patients are immunosuppressed and may have a high incidence of cutaneous malignancies. Objective.

To determine if combination therapy using topical imiquimod cream 5% and the oral cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor are useful in the therapy of squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCC in situ)/Bowen's disease in patients with long-standing CLL. Methods.

Five CLL patients with head and neck cutaneous SCC in situ, which met criteria for Bowen's disease, were treated with topical 5% topical imiquimod cream and an oral COX inhibitor, sulindac 200 mg twice a day. Results.

All patients showed clinical resolution and histologic clearing of the tumors after 16 weeks of therapy. Conclusion.

The local immune modulator, 5% imiquimod, in combination with a COX inhibitor, with its many potential antitumor effects may stimulate the innate and possibly the adaptive immune responses to clear these malignancies.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, and 2: Laboratory Corporation of America, Herndon, Virginia

The full text article is not available for purchase.

The publisher only permits individual articles to be downloaded by subscribers.

Bowen's Disease (Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Situ) in Immunosuppressed Patients Treated with Imiquimod 5% Cream and a COX Inhibitor, Sulindac: Potential Applications for This Combination of Immunotherapy