New Emerging Treatment Options for Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Non-melanoma skin cancers, also known as keratinocyte tumors, have an increasing incidence worldwide, with basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma being the most represented ones. Although surgery represents the gold-standard treatment for both tumors, some cases can progress to an advanced or a metastatic state and targeted therapy is required. Hedgehog signaling pathway has an important role in the development of basal cell carcinoma, and its inhibition is the key to new treatment options available for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinoma. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is the second most frequent malignant skin cancer; when presenting in advanced or metastatic stage, alternative treatments are required; cemiplimab is a human monoclonal antibody directed against programmed cell death-1 receptor that acts by blocking T-cell inactivation and is the first drug approved for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Studies evaluating pembrolizumab, ipilimumab and nivolumab as alternative treatments for advanced squamous cell carcinoma are still underway. Objective of this review is to analyze and discuss the novel therapies for advanced basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma to obtain a sharper perspective of the available treatment options.