Adults with superficial basal cell carcinoma now have an FDA-approved, nonsurgical treatment that uses a medicated gel activated by red light. The agency approved Ameluz topical gel used with the BF-RhodoLED lamp for this skin cancer subtype; manufacturer Biofrontera announced on September 14 that it is the first photodynamic therapy drug approved in the United States to treat a skin cancer, according to the company's release.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer in the country, with about 3.6 million cases diagnosed each year, according to Skin Cancer Foundation figures cited by the company. Biofrontera estimates the superficial subtype accounts for 15% to 20% of those cases, or roughly 540,000 to 720,000 a year. Superficial lesions often appear on the trunk, arms, or legs, and patients frequently have more than one.
