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Imiquimod 5% cream is FDA approved for the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). In this randomized, manufacturer-funded, open-label study from Germany, 90 evaluable patients with a nodular BCC smaller than 1.5 cm in diameter underwent treatment with imiquimod 5% cream three times per week for either 8 or 12 weeks. Two months after treatment ended, the tumor site was excised with 3-mm margins; the entire peripheral and deep margins were examined by en face examination, and the central portion was examined with serial vertical sections.
After 4-mm punch biopsy samples were taken for diagnosis, the mean tumor size was 8.2 mm in the 8-week group and 9.6 mm in the 12-week group. Of the original 102 patients, 12 were excluded, in…