Journal: The Journal of dermatology
The Japanese Dermatological Association and Japanese Skin Cancer Society have updated clinical guidelines for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) to reflect current treatment advancements and regional characteristics.
Key points include:
- BCCs in East Asian populations, including Japanese patients, are predominantly pigmented (88.3%), unlike in Western populations where pigmentation is less common.
- This pigmentation difference affects diagnosis and tumor border assessment, making distinct clinical guidelines necessary.
- A multidisciplinary expert committee reviewed extensive literature to develop evidence-based recommendations.
The guidelines address four clinical questions:
- Reduced margin resection for pigmented BCCs
- Radiotherapy for recurrent BCCs
- Topical immune response modifiers
- Systemic therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors
These guidelines aim to help clinicians in East Asia select appropriate BCC treatments.