The 2014 phase II trial {1} indicates that oral itraconazole is beneficial for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Imiquimod 5% cream and topical 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) have also been used to treat basal cell carcinoma (BCC) with a fair amount of success (~60 to 90% success rate at 5-year follow-up according to systematic reviews {2,3}).
Does ingesting itraconazole pills increase the likelihood of success for a topical cream (Imiquimod/5-Fluorouracil) to treat BCC?
References:
- {1} Kim, D.J., Kim, J., Spaunhurst, K., Montoya, J., Khodosh, R., Chandra, K., Fu, T., Gilliam, A., Molgo, M., Beachy, P.A. and Tang, J.Y., 2014. Open-label, exploratory phase II trial of oral itraconazole for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. J Clin Oncol, 32(8), pp.745-751. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2013.49.9525
- {2} Love WE, Bernhard JD, Bordeaux JS. Topical imiquimod or fluorouracil therapy for basal and squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review. Arch Dermatol. 2009;145(12):1431–8. https://doi.org/10.1001/archdermatol.2009.291
- {3} Kamath, Preetha, Evan Darwin, Harleen Arora, and Keyvan Nouri. "A review on imiquimod therapy and discussion on optimal management of basal cell carcinomas." Clinical drug investigation 38, no. 10 (2018): 883-899. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40261-018-0681-x
