Evaluation of the Primary Response of Basal Cell Carcinoma to Aminolevulinic Acid Photodynamic Therapy

Background: Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer in human beings. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel therapeutic method which may be regarded as a non-invasive useful alternative for traditional treatments of BCC. This study was designed with the aim of evaluating the primary response of BCC to PDT.Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 28 BCC lesions. Patients were treated with ALA-PDT monthly for 1-6 sessions and evaluated for clinical response, cosmetic results and probable side effects.Results: Twenty three out of 28 lesions showed response to PDT (9 showed complete response and 14 showed partial response). The cosmetic result was excellent or good in 77.5% of the cases. In 92.8% of the cases, no or mild side effects were observed. Patients with a positive history of radiotherapy responded less (p<0.05). No significant relationship was found between patients' age, sex, localization, diameter or type of BCC with clinical response.Conclusion: PDT might be a good therapeutic option in the treatment of BCC, especially the superficial type, with high efficacy and few side effects.