Combined topical 5-FU and calcipotriene for superficial keratinocyte carcinomas
An article published in JAAD retrospectively assessed response and recurrence rates following superficial keratinocyte carcinoma (SKC) treatment, superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) and squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS), with topical 5% 5-flourouracil combined with 0.005% calcipotriene. A total of 163 patients with 209 SKCs were included in the study. Of 209 tumors, 91% achieved a complete response overall (SCCIS: 92%, sBCC: 83%). Two-year recurrence-free survival was 95% for SCCIS and 84% for sBCC. sBCC tumors were more likely to develop local recurrence compared to SCCIS (12% vs. 2.4%).
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: Holiday greeting 2025
Every year, I count my blessings that I am a dermatologist. The work is fascinating, scientifically stimulating, and, most importantly, therapeutically rewarding for our patients. How fortunate are we to be in the throes of changes that have expanded the lifespan for patients with advanced melanoma, allowed patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis to feel “normal,” and have patients with alopecia totalis look at their recovered mane in the mirror? A quarter-century ago, we collectively held our breath anticipating the Y2K cyber-Armageddon. The fears were unfounded — we survived. It is understandable to be anxious about what awaits us in 2025. Keep reading!
FDA approves tapinarof cream for atopic dermatitis
This week, the FDA approved tapinarof cream 1%, a steroid-free treatment, to treat adults and children as young as two years old with atopic dermatitis (AD). Tapinarof cream was previously approved in 2022 to treat adult patients with psoriasis. The drug’s approval is supported by two pivotal clinical trials as well as a open-label, long-term, extension study.
Patients in both trials were assigned to either tapinarof cream 1% or a placebo for eight weeks. About half of the participants in each trial had skin of color. At week eight, the primary endpoint was met by 45% of the tapinarof group vs. 14% of the placebo group in the first trial. Similarly, 46% of the tapinarof group vs. 18% of the placebo group in the second trial met the primary endpoint. The trials demonstrated that tapinarof cream 1% effectively treated patients with all skin types aged 2 or older with moderate to severe AD.
The most common adverse reactions included upper respiratory tract infection (12%), folliculitis (9%), and lower respiratory tract infection (5%).
Upadacitinib vs. dupilumab for atopic dermatitis
A study published in The British Journal of Dermatology assessed the safety and efficacy of upadacitinib vs. dupilumab in adult and adolescent patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). The patients were randomized to receive upadacitinib or dupilumab for 16 weeks. Treatment with upadacitinib was associated with superior efficacy in terms of achieving an Eczema Area and Severity Index–90 response and a Worst Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale 0/1 response at week 16 compared with treatment with dupilumab.
Dermatologists discuss the influx of new JAK inhibitors in dermatology and how they are breaking new ground for the specialty. Read more.
Doxycycline for patients with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia
A study published in JAAD assessed the use of doxycycline in the management of patients with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). The results showed that patients treated with low-dose doxycycline plus topical corticosteroids/intralesional triamcinolone were seven times more likely to experience hair regrowth compared with those treated with corticosteroids alone.
[Dermatologist hair experts share insights on what may play a role in FFA and CCCA. Read more.]
Patients in the doxycycline plus corticosteroids group presented for evaluation an average of seven years after disease onset, whereas those in the corticosteroids-only group presented an average of nearly five years after disease onset.
What are treatment recommendations for managing CCCA? Read more.
Association between access to tanning bed facilities and melanoma?
An article published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology evaluated the relationship between access to tanning bed facilities and melanoma incidence in New England. The authors identified that for every one-minute increase in average travel time to tanning facilities within 30 minutes travel time threshold, the melanoma incidence rate decreased by 3.46% in the same county and by 1.92% across New England. The authors found a negative association between average travel time to tanning facilities and county-level melanoma incidence rate, suggesting that policy aimed at decreasing access to indoor tanning facilities has the potential to reduce melanoma rates.
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