Imiquimod for Skin Tumors and Now for Conjunctival Tumors?

Imiquimod cream (trade name Aldara) is a medication that is used to treat genital or perianal warts, actinic keratoses, and superficial basal cell carcinomas in adults with a normal immune system. This medication acts as an immune response modifier. The use of imiquimod cream in children or pregnant/breastfeeding patients has not been well studied. This cream is provided in small packets with an expiration date and stored below 77 °F and is prescribed for daily use, typically applied directly to the skin lesion(s) at bedtime for a period of 8 to 16 weeks with favorable tumor control. Imiquimod cream commonly leads to local cutaneous reactions at the application site including cutaneous edema, erythema, flaking of skin, erosion, and scabbing. Fortunately, most of these are mild to moderate and not generally severe.