Photodynamic therapy with delta-aminolaevulinic acid for nodular basal cell carcinomas using a prior debulking technique

The incidence of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) is still increasing, and ther e is a demand for an easy effective and selective non-invasive treatment su ch as topical photodynamic therapy (PDT). Twenty-three patients with 24 nod ular BCCs were treated once with delta-aminolaevulinic acid (delta-ALA) PDT (100 mW cm(-2), 120 J/cm(2)) 3 weeks after prior debulking of the BCCs. Th ree months after PDT, all lesions were surgically excised and histopatholog ically evaluated for residual tumour. Twenty-two (92%) of the 24 nodular BC Cs showed a complete response on clinical and histopathological examination . PDT for superficially abraded nodular BCCs with topically applied delta-A LA and the VersaLight(R) as light source is an easy, effective and safe the rapy, with excellent cosmetic results and no serious side-effects, in cases where non-surgical treatment of BCCs is indicated.