Significant Association of Poly-A and Fok1 Polymorphic Alleles of the Vitamin D Receptor with Vitamin D Serum Levels and Incidence of Squamous Cutaneous Neoplasia.

Vitamin D3, a prohormone, is converted to circulating calcidiol and then to calcitriol, the hormone that binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) (a nuclear transcription factor). Polymorphic genetic sequence variants of the VDR are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and melanoma. However, the relationship between VDR allelic variants and the risk of squamous cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis remains unclear.

Best practices in surgical and nonsurgical management of head and neck Merkel cell carcinoma: An update.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma. Controversy exists regarding optimal management of MCC as high-quality randomized studies and clinical trials are limited, and physicians are bound to interpret highly heterogeneous, retrospective literature in their clinical practice. Furthermore, the rising incidence and notably poor prognosis of MCC urges the establishment of best practices for optimal management of the primary tumor and its metastases.

Sandpaper curettage: A simple method to improve PDT outcomes for actinic keratosis.

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-scarring, repeatable, and safe treatment for actinic keratosis (AK), but improvements in efficacy are still needed.

Background: Devices such as steel blades, needle rollers, and lasers are currently used to remove hypertrophic stratum corneum on AKs to improve PDT outcomes. However, curettage with fine sandpaper could be a gentler, effective alternative.

Significant improvement of facial actinic keratoses after blue light photodynamic therapy with oral vitamin D pretreatment: An interventional cohort-controlled trial.

Background: In mouse models of skin cancer, high-dose oral vitamin D3 (VD3; cholecalciferol) combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) can improve the clearance of squamous precancers (actinic keratoses [AKs]).

Objective: To determine whether oral VD3 can improve the clinical efficacy of a painless PDT regimen in humans with AK.

Methods: The baseline lesion counts and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were determined.

A regimen to minimize pain during blue light photodynamic therapy of actinic keratoses: Bilaterally controlled, randomized trial of simultaneous versus conventional illumination.

Background: Blue light photodynamic therapy (PDT) is effective for actinic keratosis, but many patients experience stinging pain during illumination.

Objective: To compare a conventional regimen (1 hour of 5-aminolevulinic acid [ALA] preincubation, followed by blue light) versus a new modified regimen in which blue light is started immediately after ALA application.

Methods: A clinical trial with a bilaterally controlled, intrapatient study design was conducted with 23 patients.

A non-toxic approach for treatment of breast cancer and its metastases: capecitabine enhanced photodynamic therapy in a murine breast tumor model.

Aim: Breast cancer (BCA) in women is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity; distant metastases occur in ~40% of cases. Here, as an alternative to ionizing radiation therapy and chemotherapy and their associated side effects, we explored a new combination approach using capecitabine (CPBN) and aminolevulinate-based photodynamic therapy (PDT). We had previously developed a combination PDT approach in which 5-fluorouracil (5FU), a differentiation-promoting agent, increases the levels of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in cancer cells when given as a neoadjuvant prior to aminolevulinic acid (ALA).