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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is an epithelial tumour of the skin. It seldom metastasizes, but has the potential for local invasion and destruction. It usually occurs as one or several small pearly nodules with central depressions on the sun-exposed skin of older adults.
Ressler et al. perform a phase II clinical trial of neoadjuvant talimogene laherparepvec in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma and report on treatment safety, efficacy and on treatment-induced immune tumor microenvironment changes.
Petersonet al. report that basal cell carcinomas primarily arise from stem cells within hair follicle and touch dome epithelia, and that cutaneous nerves promote tumorigenesis.
Superficial basal cell carcinomas are a common challenge in clinical dermatology because they are frequent and surgical approaches tend to scar. A large randomized trial comparing three nonsurgical approaches has shown that all had similar clinical outcomes—so, you pay your money and take your choice.
Basal cell carcinoma has been shown to originate from activation of hedgehog signalling in interfollicular epidermal progenitor cells. Analyses of the early steps of basal cell carcinoma formation show that this process requires reprogramming of interfolliclular epidermal cells to an embryonic hair follicle progenitor-like fate, with concomitant Wnt pathway activation.
