Photo Credit: Nemes Laszlo
The following is a summary of “A multicenter real-world analysis of risk factors, therapeutics, and outcomes of patients with metastatic basal cell carcinoma,” published in the March 2024 issue of Dermatology by Groover, et al.
Metastatic basal cell carcinoma (mBCC) is uncommon, and there is limited information available regarding patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and disease prognosis. For a study, researchers sought to evaluate the characteristics of patients and tumors, treatment strategies, and outcomes in mBCC cases categorized by the location of metastasis.
The retrospective cohort study involved 53 patients diagnosed with mBCC across four major academic medical centers in Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Cleveland, Ohio, from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2021.
Among the 53 patients with mBCC, 22 (42%) had metastasis confined to lymph nodes, while 31 (58%) exhibited distant organ spread, with or without lymph node involvement. Notably, half (n = 11) of the patients with nodal metastasis achieved complete disease remission, contrasting with only 1 (3%) patient with distant metastasis. The 5-year survival rates for patients with nodal and distant metastases were 89.3% and 61.0%, respectively.
Patients with nodal involvement tend to achieve disease remission more frequently compared to those with distant metastases, who often experience persistent disease and mortality. Nevertheless, the 5-year survival rates exceed 50%, even among patients with stage IV disease, indicating some degree of favorable prognosis despite mBCC’s aggressive nature.