Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Skin cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer and melanoma is the deadliest kind of skin cancer in the world. Due to enhanced induction of apoptosis and ROS levels, low-level lasers can be utilized to destroy skin cancer cells. Lasers are used to treat some skin lesions. Vitamin A is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of skin cancer. Vitamin A inhibits the pathway of cancer signals in the skin and suppresses tumor growth. In this study, the combined effect of low-level laser radiation (LLL) and vitamin A on cellular factors of skin melanoma cancer cells was investigated.
Methods: An in-vitro interventional laboratory study was performed in the cell culture laboratory of Medical Laser Research Center, Yara Institute in 2020-2021 (July 2020 to July 2021). First, A375 skin cancer cells were cultured in DMEM with 10% FBS. After preparation and culture of A375 cell lines, different concentrations of vitamin A (1, 5, 50, 100 μM) and LLL energy doses (1, 2, 5, 10 J/cm²) as treatments were done. Combination research of these treatments was performed to eliminate skin melanoma cancer cells. The rate of viability was determined using the MTT test, and the rate of apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry.

Background: Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) are among the most prevalent malignancies globally. Investigating their characteristics and treatment-related outcomes can significantly contribute to optimizing management strategies including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of NMSCs and the complications following surgical treatment (such as necrosis and bleeding).
Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study which was conducted to investigate the features of patients initially diagnosed with NMSC (confirmed by histopathological examination of the lesion) at dermatology ward of Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, between 2018 and 2021. Inclusion criteria were definitive diagnosis (based on the result of pathology) of an NMSC and undergoing surgical management. Exclusion criteria included incomplete patient records. Relevant data were extracted and recorded using a data collection form. Finally, all collected information was statistically analyzed according to the study objectives, and the overall frequency of NMSC surgeries, as well as their frequency based on study variables, was reported descriptively.
Results: A total of 37 NMSC surgeries were performed. The majority were basal cell carcinomas located on the face. Over half of the patients were male, and most had underlying medical conditions despite lacking common risk factors such as smoking and sun exposure. The most common flap techniques used were rotational flap, island pedicle flap, and H-plasty flap. Two complications were observed: one case of bleeding at the surgical site and one case of wound edge necrosis, both occurring one week post-operation.
Conclusion: In the southeastern region of Iran, NMSCs requiring surgical treatment showed a lower prevalence than anticipated. However, their pathological and demographic characteristics were consistent with global observations. The incidence of post-surgical complications was also low. Nevertheless, future studies with larger sample sizes in this region and across the country are recommended to enhance the reliability of these findings.