Medications are rarely used to treat nonmelanoma skin cancer. Surgery is the most common treatment.

Medication Choices

Medications that may be used to treat nonmelanoma skin cancer include:

• Fluorouracil (5-FU). 5-FU cream or solution is used to treat actinic keratoses and basal cell carcinoma that is limited to the top layer of skin (superficial).
• Imiquimod 5% cream (Aldara). Imiquimod is used to treat superficial basal cell cancer on the skin of the body, neck, arms, or legs, but it is not approved for treating the face. Surgery is still considered the best treatment because it is generally more effective. People treated with imiquimod should have regular follow-up visits with their health professional to make sure the skin cancer is gone.¹⁰

Chemotherapy may be used to destroy cancer cells in the small number of people who have basal or squamous cell carcinoma that has spread (metastasized) to other organs in the body, though metastasis is rare.

What To Think About

The effectiveness of treatment with medications for nonmelanoma skin cancer is not fully known. Studies are currently being done on the following medications to determine their effectiveness.

• Interferon is a substance produced by the body that helps the immune system fight disease more effectively.
• Tretinoin (Retin-A) cream is derived from vitamin A and is one of a class of substances called retinoids. Tretinoin cream may prevent new skin cancers in people who have an increased risk of developing skin cancer.