Basal cell carcinoma treated with HeberFERON. A real world retrospective study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundBasal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer with major impact in health-related quality of life. The use of the formulation based on the combination of IFN-alpha 2b and IFN-gamma (HeberFERON) is an effective alternative in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, immunogenic tumor, potentially responsible to immunotherapies. The aim of this report is to record, retrospectively, the effect of HeberFERON patients with BCC in the Cuban real word condition.MethodsThis is a retrospectively study of the use of HeberFERON in real world conditions. Eligible patients were adults with histologic diagnosis of single or multiple basal cell carcinoma of any skin phototype, lesions of any size, subtype, location, recurrent or not, with or without specific prior treatments. Adult patients, who signed the informed consent to receive the treatment with HeberFERON, were identified from the data bases. The evaluation of clinical effectiveness was carried out according to RECIST 1.1. Ethical committee of participating institutions approved the study.ResultsIn clinical practice evaluated patients the nose was the region of higher frequency of tumors (36.3%) and the nodular clinical subtype was the predominant (45.3%). Clinical response rate differences (p=0. 000) were found, with complete response of 61.9%, and partial response of 32.7%; with an overall response rate of 94.2% The HeberFERON exerted a 100% disease control, with no progression reported in 640 treated patients. The best responder tumor subtypes to HeberFERON were the more aggressive tumors, morpheaform with complete response of 72% (overall response=96%), followed by the infiltrative with complete response of 66.7% (overall response=100%). Tumor with larger size and patients with more than four tumors had lesser response to the anti-tumor effect of HeberFERON.ConclusionsHeberFERON was highly effective in basal cell carcinomas in real world conditions. In the context of resistance of skin tumors to hedgehog and immune check point inhibitors the combination of IFNs alpha 2b and IFN gamma appears as a plausible therapeutic option for a wide number of basal cell carcinomas.