Interventions for basal cell carcinoma of the skin

Why is this question important?Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer among people with white skin.BCC is not usually life ‐threatening but if left untreated, it can cause important disfigurement, especially on the face.Surgical removal of the affected area and surrounding skin is usually the first option for treating BCC. Several different surgical approaches exist as well as non ‐surgical treatments, such as radiotherapy (high doses of radiation that kill cancer cells), and anti‐cancer creams, gels and ointments.We reviewed the evidence from research studies, to find out which treatments work best for BCC.How did we identify and evaluate the evidence?We searched for randomised controlled studies (studies where people are randomly put into one of two or more treatment groups), because these provide the most robust evidence about the effects of a treatment. We compared and summarised the evidence from all the studies. Finally, we rated our confidence in the evidence, based on factors such as study methods and sizes, and the consistency of findings across studies.What did we find?We found 52 studies that involved a total of 6690 adults with BCC. Most studies (48 out of 52) included hospital outpatients with small, superficial or nodular BCC. Studies lasted for between six weeks and 10 years (average duration: 13 months). Twenty ‐two studies were funded by pharmaceutical companies.Our confidence in the evidence presented here is low to moderat...
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