Basal cell carcinomas are the most common form of skin cancer. Some develop into advanced cases not suitable for standard therapy. Vismodegib is the first-in-class oral hedgehog pathway inhibitor (which is dysregulated in 90% of basal cell carcinomas), and has demonstrated efficacy for advanced disease in clinical trials. An UK expert panel met to discuss management strategies for adverse events associated with vismodegib (most commonly taste disturbances, muscle cramps and alopecia). Managing patient expectations and implementing treatment breaks were considered important strategies. Quinine was useful to alleviate muscle cramps. For taste disturbances, food swaps alongside dietician referral were suggested. The experts concluded that these common adverse events can be successfully managed to allow optimum treatment duration of vismodegib.

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Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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Vol. 13, No. 2

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Published online 19 September 2016

Published in print January 2017

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Author contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the analysis, acquisition of data, interpretation and analysis, reviewing the manuscript draft and final approval of the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The expert panel consensus meeting was arranged and funded by Roche Products Ltd. All authors received honoraria from Roche Products Ltd for attendance at the advisory board/panel meeting. JT Lear received honoraria for speaker fees and advisory boards from Roche and Novartis. S Jones is an employee of Roche Products Ltd. K Fife received honoraria for advisory boards and speaker fees from Roche, Pfizer and GSK. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Third-party medical writing assistance under the direction of the authors was provided by J Musgrove, MRes, of Gardiner-Caldwell Communications and was funded by Roche Products Ltd.

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Managing adverse events associated with vismodegib in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma

Abstract

References