BENEFITS OF USING IMIQUIMODE FOR NON-MELANOCYTIC SKIN CANCER

Abstract

The authors present a study based on the analysis and review of articles published in indexed journals regarding the treatment of non-melanocytic skin cancers, specifically basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, using 5 fluorouracil and imiquimod. In the analysis, reports on the use of medications in dermatological lesions such as neoplastic lesions, in lesionsof actinic keratosis, which are pre-cancerous, and in the field of cancerization, which is the entire region that comprises the location of the tumor and its surroundings, were evaluated. In addition, the ability to improve through the mechanisms of action of each drug and the likely comparative cost that each patient or institution would have with the use of medication were evaluated. Although the price of fluorouracil 5 is of great advantage over imiquimod, this drug has a broader and very complex mechanism of action that is capable of interfering in various stages of tumor development, improving the patient's defenses, and in this way provide a better action on the cancerous lesion and its field of cancerization. Regarding treatment costs, as mentioned above, the price of 5 fluorouracil proved to be lower than that of imiquimod in commercial terms, which could hinder the compliance of all patients and also standardization within hospital institutions. However, based on the cases studied, it was observed that it would be interesting to develop another study based on this one to evaluate the medium and long term if the use of imiquimod would decrease the expenses with inputs, anesthetics, surgical material, medical assistants, circulating personnel and medical personnel. fixed care for these patients. In this perspective, perhaps the inclusion in the standardization of clinics and care units would bring a gain in quality for the patient and an economy for service providers.