Current Therapy for Basal Cell Carcinoma and the Potential Role for Immunotherapy With Checkpoint Inhibitors

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide. Fortunately, it is often diagnosed while still localized and can be effectively treated with simple excision or Mohs micrographic surgery. However, a subset of patients are diagnosed with locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent disease. As our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of BCC and the Hedgehog signaling pathway has increased, Hedgehog inhibitors such as vismodegib and sonidegib have been introduced to improve the survival rates in this patient population. However, even with these advances, a significant proportion of patients will not respond to current therapies and remain at risk of developing either resistance during therapy or disease recurrence. This review paper discusses currently approved therapies in the treatment of localized, locally advanced, and metastatic BCC and the possible contribution that immune checkpoint inhibitors might add to the treatment of this malignancy.