Ingenol Mebutate: When the Patient Refuses Surgery

Basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in white individuals. The main risk factor of BCC is intense exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The gold standard of diagnosis of BCC is histopathology. Treatment options for BCC consist of surgery, vismodegib, radiotherapy and topical or ablative treatments. Surgical excision is usually the preferred treatment for nodular and aggressive BCC subtypes. Here in, we report the case of a 51 year-old Caucasian woman successfully treated with ingenol mebutate (IM) 0.05% gel on a large-sized (ø3 cm) superficial BCC (sBCC) localized on the right shoulder. IM appears to be an effective, simple, safe and comfortable treatment even for large-sized sBCC with good cosmetic results.