Treatment with ointment

According to the latest studies, an American manufacturer has developed an ointment that contains an active ingredient that can be used in the treatment of skin cancer. The active ingredient contained in the ointment is intended to advance the treatment of skin cancer by activating the immune system. The principle of this skin cancer ointment is therefore to be based on the body’s own reaction against the cancer cells.

So far, the effectiveness of the active ingredient Imiquimod contained in the ointment has only been proven in patients with basal cell carcinoma (white skin cancer). At times, the clinical use of ointments containing Imiquimod was limited to the treatment of genital warts. Recently, ointments containing this active ingredient have also been permitted for the treatment of white skin cancer.

It is assumed that the regular application of the ointment causes a significant regression of skin cancer cells within eight weeks. Since basal cell carcinomas occur about ten times more frequently within the Federal Republic of Germany than the well-known black skin cancer (malignant melanoma), the Imiquimod ointment is considered a new wonder weapon in the treatment of skin cancer. The implementation of further therapeutic measures such as chemo- or radiotherapy is not necessary.

The reason for this is the fact that white skin cancer, unlike malignant melanoma, does not have a tendency to metastasize. The distinction between white and black skin cancer should nevertheless be made by a trained specialist (dermatologist; specialist for skin diseases) as before. Clinically, basal cell carcinoma is characterized by a hardening of the affected skin area.

The color of the white skin cancer corresponds approximately to the color of the surrounding healthy skin surface. Typically, fine red veins are found in the peripheral region of the basal cell carcinoma. According to experts, skin cancer treatment with Imiquimod ointment has several advantages over the previously chosen treatment methods.

Above all, the possibility of treating skin cancer over a wide area of the skin without the risk of damaging healthy cells is an enormous advantage. The extensive studies have shown that the ointment applied is effective exclusively on diseased skin and leaves healthy skin areas completely untouched. So far, a healing rate of about 80 percent could be achieved with regular application of Imiquimod-containing ointments.

The treatment of skin cancer with interferon belongs to the so-called “adjuvant” cancer therapy.The term “adjuvant” (here with interferon) is used in medical terminology to describe a preventive treatment that is started at a time when no tumor metastases are detectable. This type of skin cancer treatment enables a much better prognosis to be achieved in patients without detectable metastases. Nevertheless, it is possible that individual tumor cells have already scattered without being detectable with current imaging techniques.

It is precisely these tumor cells that may rest for years before they lead to the formation of metastases elsewhere. In patients suffering from malignant melanoma (black skin cancer), preventive treatment with conventional chemotherapeutic agents has not proven to be effective. For this reason, chemotherapy is considered pointless if there is no evidence of metastases.

However, in order to reduce the risk of skin cancer tumor cells settling in other organs in such patients, adjuvant treatment with interferon may be useful. In these cases, stimulation of the immune system is also accompanied by a significant reduction in the risk of skin cancer recurrence. Adjuvant interferon therapy can be used in primary skin cancer with a tumor thickness of more than 1.5-2 mm and in tumor cell attachment in the regional lymph nodes.

In most cases, the preparation “Interferon” is applied under the skin surface approximately three times a week. Patients starting adjuvant interferon treatment for skin cancer often suffer from fever, chills and flu-like symptoms within the first weeks. This is due to the fact that the release of interferon by the organism is normally a reaction to viral infections.

The interferon used in this form of skin cancer treatment is a cytokine that is produced by various endogenous cells and plays a key protective role. In general, a distinction is made between three different forms of interferon, interferon- alpha, beta and gamma. T lymphocytes and NK cells (natural killer cells) are stimulated by the influence of both endogenous and externally substituted interferon.

The medical use of interferon is not limited to the treatment of skin cancer. There are also considerable advantages in the therapy of patients suffering from hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis or lymphomas. After about three to four weeks, the patient’s body begins to get used to the increased interferon concentration.

At this time, fever, chills and flu-like symptoms usually subside. However, during the entire treatment of skin cancer with interferon, a significant reduction in performance can be expected. However, normal work activities should no longer be restricted after three weeks.

Chemotherapy becomes necessary in patients suffering from skin cancer when daughter tumors have formed in internal organs. Black skin cancer tends to metastasize mainly to the lungs, bones, liver or brain. In medical terminology, the term “chemotherapy” refers to the use of cell growth-inhibiting (cytostatic) substances.

In general, one can assume that cancer cells have a significantly higher division rate than normal body cells. For this reason, malignant tumor cells in particular are particularly badly damaged by the application of chemotherapy to treat skin cancer. In the majority of patients treated with chemotherapy, a significant decrease in tumor diameter can be observed.

In some cases, even complete regression of metastases caused by skin cancer can be observed. In these cases one speaks of a complete remission. However, the effect of chemotherapy is not exclusively limited to tumor cells despite the significant differences in cell division rate.

Body cells in the area of the mucous membranes (especially within the gastrointestinal tract) are also affected by chemotherapy. In addition, most chemotherapeutic agents used to treat skin cancer affect hair growth. As a result, many patients experience hair loss, nausea and vomiting.Other typical side effects of chemotherapy are changes in the blood count which can lead to an increased susceptibility to infections, a greater tendency to bleed and pronounced anaemia.

In patients suffering from malignant melanoma (black skin cancer) and who have been diagnosed with distant metastases, the first chemotherapy can stabilize the course of the disease with a 50% probability. The complete regression of skin cancer metastases is also not uncommon. However, there are no parameters that allow to determine a prognosis regarding a patient’s response to chemotherapy before treatment begins.

In case of a non-response, another form of treatment should be chosen as soon as possible. The typical chemotherapeutic agents used in patients with malignant melanoma are dacarbazine (DTIC), cisplatin, BCNU, vinca alkaloids and temozolomide. The different agents can be administered independently or in combination with each other.