Table 2 List of drugs approved by FDA for skin cancer treatment
Generic name | Trade Name | Dosage form | Mechanism of action | Indication | Side effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Imiquimod | Aldara/ Zyclara | Cream/ ointment (topical) | Immune response modifier also treats genital and anal warts by enhancing the activity of the body’s immune system | Use to treat superficial basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis | Redness, itching, headache, diarrhea, Back pain, tiredness, etc |
Vismodegib | Erivedge | Capsule (oral) | Works as hedgehog pathway inhibitor | Generally used to treat basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, can’t be consumed by pregnant women | Muscle spasms, tiredness, joint pain, hair loss, weight loss, etc |
Sonidegib | Odomzo | Capsule (oral) | Work as hedgehog pathway inhibitor | Commonly used to treat basal cell carcinoma and also that kind of skin cancer which are reoccur after the surgical or radial treatment and can’t be consumed by pregnant women | Diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, anemia, hair loss, etc |
5-fluorouracil | Carac/ Efudex/ Fluoroplex/Tolac | Cream/ointment(topical) | It is a kind of antimetabolite that acts by killing fast-growing abnormal cells by inhibiting DNA formation | Generally used to treat actinic keratosis, and solar keratosis which were caused due to overexposure of UV rays by few years | Burning, crusting, redness, pain, discoloration, etc |