Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico
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Despite that basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is curative in the vast majority of cases, some patients are at high risk of recurrence and, in a few patients, lesions can progress to a point unsuitable for local therapy and prognosis is quite poor. The aim of the present work is to review clinical and pathologic characteristics as well as classical and new treatment options for high-risk, metastatic and locally advanced BCC. ⋯ Treatment of these patients is challenging and need an individualized and highly specialized approach. The treatment of locally advanced BCC, in which surgery or radiotherapy is unfeasible, inappropriate or contraindicated, and metastatic BCC has changed with new Hedgehog pathway inhibitors of which vismodegib is the first drug approved by FDA and EMA.