Purpose of review: Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Immunotherapy (IO) has emerged as an alternative option. This review provides a contemporary summary of how to incorporate IO into the management of advanced NMSC. Evidence-based outcomes and recent clinical trials are provided with emphasis on the three most common NMSC diagnoses: cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).
Recent findings: Surgical resection while preserving form and function remains the standard of care for the majority of NMSCs. In recalcitrant cases failing traditional surgery and/or primary radiation, patient ineligible for such treatments, or unresectable disease, IO has emerged as a promising alternative. In the majority of cases, it is a supplanting primary chemotherapy. Surgery remains the standard of care for NMSC. Immunotherapy has emerged as an alternative option for non-surgical candidates and as a neoadjuvant means to minimize morbidity.
Keywords: Basal cell carcinoma; Hedgehog inhibitor; Immunotherapy; Merkel cell carcinoma; PD-1 inhibitor; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgery.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.