Peritumoral Inflammation in Basal Cell Carcinoma: Fundamentals, Clinical Significance, and Changes After Topical Imiquimod Therapy

Peritumoral inflammation surrounding basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is complex and may provide valuable information regarding host response, which is not entirely successful at eradicating or containing tumor progression, and successful immunologic response, which may lead to therapeutic success. Therapies for BCC, such as intralesional interferon and topical imiquimod, alter the nature and intensity of peritumoral inflammation. This article reviews current understanding of cell types and their suggested functions in peritumoral inflammation surrounding BCC and discusses the changes induced by topical imiquimod use.