Long-term follow-up of patients with high-risk facial basal cell carcinoma treated with interferon.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). When surgery is not a choice, only radiotherapy is recommended for patients with high-risk facial BCC. Interferon could be an acceptable therapeutic option for these patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term clinical response to interferon therapy in patients with high-risk facial BCC. METHODS: Patients with high-risk facial BCC were treated with perilesional injections of alpha-2b+ gamma interferons. Those with incomplete clinical response were reevaluated, their residual tumors excised, and declared cured. Patients treated with interferon and those treated with interferon plus surgery were followed for five years. Time to recurrence and the emergence of a new facial BCC were estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Adverse events were documented. RESULTS: This study included 195 participants; 143 (73.3%) showed a complete response (95% CI 67.2‒80.1). Patients developed recurrence after a mean of 55 months (95% CI 53.8‒57.4). The estimated rate of recurrence was 12.3% (95% CI 7.4‒17.1). Patients developed a new BCC after a mean of 52.7 months (95% CI 50.4‒54.9). The estimated rate for development of a new BCC was 20.0% (95% CI 14.4‒25.9). Fifteen (7.7%) patients abandoned the study during follow-up. Adverse events were frequent but moderate or mild; fever and local pain were the most frequent. STUDY LIMITATIONS: Observational cohort design without a control group for comparison. CONCLUSIONS: Perilesional injections of alpha-2b+ gamma interferons in patients with facial high-risk BCC offer a satisfactory cure rate after five years of follow-up with an acceptable safety profile.

Long-term follow-up of patients with high-risk facial basal cell carcinoma treated with interferon

Abstract Background Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). When surgery is not a choice, only radiotherapy is recommended for patients with high-risk facial BCC. Interferon could be an acceptable therapeutic option for these patients. Objective To evaluate the long-term clinical response to interferon therapy in patients with high-risk facial BCC. Methods Patients with high-risk facial BCC were treated with perilesional injections of alpha-2b+ gamma interferons. Those with incomplete clinical response were reevaluated, their residual tumors excised, and declared cured. Patients treated with interferon and those treated with interferon plus surgery were followed for five years. Time to recurrence and the emergence of a new facial BCC were estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Adverse events were documented. Results This study included 195 participants; 143 (73.3%) showed a complete response (95% CI 67.2‒80.1). Patients developed recurrence after a mean of 55 months (95% CI 53.8‒57.4). The estimated rate of recurrence was 12.3% (95% CI 7.4‒17.1). Patients developed a new BCC after a mean of 52.7 months (95% CI 50.4‒54.9). The estimated rate for development of a new BCC was 20.0% (95% CI 14.4‒25.9). Fifteen (7.7%) patients abandoned the study during follow-up. Adverse events were frequent but moderate or mild; fever and local pain were the most frequent. Study limitations Observational cohort design without a control group for comparison. Conclusions Perilesional injections of alpha-2b+ gamma interferons in patients with facial high-risk BCC offer a satisfactory cure rate after five years of follow-up with an acceptable safety profile.

Establecimiento in vitro de Hypericum goyanesii Cuatrec. E Hypericum juniperinum Kunth, a partir del cultivo de semillas / Establishing in vitroHypericum goyanesii Cuatrec. E Hypericum juniperinum Kunth, from seeds culture

El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar medios de cultivo de germinación para el establecimiento in vitro de Hypericum goyanesii e Hypericum juniperinum como estrategia de conservación ex situ, por medios biotecnológicos de especies vegetales pertenecientes al ecosistema alto-andino. Las semillas se desinfectaron con hipoclorito de sodio y se sembraron en seis tratamientos basados en los medios de cultivo Murashige & Skoog (MS) y MS con reducción del 50% de sus macro y microsales y vitaminas, con y sin la adición de carbón activado y pulpa de banano. La germinación se favoreció por el empleo de pulpa de banano en el medio MS con reducción de sales y suplementado con carbón activado. Fue posible evidenciar que los explantes sexuales de H. goyanesii e H. juniperinum estuvieron influenciados positivamente en la variable porcentaje de germinación, por el empleo de sustancias orgánicas en reemplazo de reguladores de crecimiento.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate germination culture media for the in vitro establishment Hypericum goyanesii e Hypericum juniperinum as ex situ conservation strategy for biotechnology of plant species belonging to the high-Andean ecosystem. The seeds were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite and seeded into six treatments MS and MS with 50% reduction of its macro and microsales and vitaminas, with and without the addition of activated charcoal and pulp banana. Germination is favored by the use of banana pulp in MS medium with reducing salts and supplemented with activated charcoal. It was possible to show that sexual explants and H. goyanesii e H. goyanesii juniperinum were influenced positively variable germination percentage, by the use of organic substances to replace growth regulators.