High Clearance of Superficial BCC Seen With Photodynamic Therapy With 10% 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Gel

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC), red-light photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 10 percent 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) gel yields higher clearance rates than vehicle, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.Todd Schlesinger, M.D., from the Clinical Research Center of the Carolinas in Charleston, South Carolina, and colleagues examined the efficacy and safety of red-light PDT with 10 percent ALA gel versus vehicle for the treatment of sBCC in a randomized, phase 3 study conducted at 21 U.S. centers. Eligible participants had one or more naive sBCC and received one to two PDT cycles.Of the 187 randomly assigned participants, 145 and 42 received PDT with 10 percent ALA and vehicle, respectively. The researchers found that histological clearance was 75.9 and 19.0 percent with 10 percent ALA gel and vehicle, respectively, and clinical clearance was 83.4 and 21.4 percent, respectively. The esthetic outcome was rated as very good or good in 88.1 percent of participants treated with 10 percent ALA gel. There were no previously unknown adverse events reported."The high efficacy, good tolerability and cosmetic benefits demonstrated in our study reinforce the value of red-light PDT with 10 percent ALA gel as a highly suitable alternative to surgical excision for the treatment of sBCC, especially for multiple or large lesions, in low-risk areas, or where patients oppose surgery," the authors write.Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter