Bowen's disease: the decisions you may face

No trial record is attached to this row yet. The trials tab lists what is recruiting and the landmark trials for this cancer.

1. Between Fluorouracil (5-FU), Imiquimod and Aminolevulinic acid (topical, for photodynamic therapy), which do you recommend for me, and what about my case would make you choose differently?
   Why: Guidelines list several reasonable options; the choice turns on details of your tumour, your health and your priorities.
2. What is each option trying to achieve: cure, long control, or relief of symptoms, and over what time?
   Why: The aim shapes how much side effect and disruption is worth accepting.
3. What happens if I delay, or decline this step for now? Is the decision reversible?
   Why: Some decisions can wait for a second opinion or a trial slot; others cannot. Knowing which is part of the choice.
4. Does your recommendation follow the current guideline (British Association of Dermatologists guidelines for the management of people with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen disease) 2022), and if it departs from it, why?
   Why: Departures from guidelines are sometimes right for an individual; they should be explained.
5. For my situation (typical lesion), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
   Why: Guideline options include: Topical fluorouracil or imiquimod, cryotherapy, curettage and cautery, photodynamic therapy, surgical excision, Mohs surgery, radiotherapy or laser; Cancer Research UK states that all of these can work well and that cure rates are high. The choice is driven by the site, the size, how well the skin there heals and what the person can manage at home. The treatment layer of this family carries the detail.
6. Am I a candidate for Fluorouracil (5-FU), Imiquimod, Aminolevulinic acid (topical, for photodynamic therapy), and what side effects should I expect?
   Why: Knowing the expected toxicities helps you plan work, family, and supportive care.

Add these to your appointment list, or take the full question set for this cancer.

This setting names no product or technology record yet; the approach above is the standard as written. Ask your team which specific treatments they mean.

No trial record is attached to this row yet. The trials tab lists what is recruiting and the landmark trials for this cancer.

No side-effect rates or interaction flags are recorded for these options yet. The side-effect lookup and interaction checker cover the products that have them.

1. Which specific treatments are you proposing for this setting, and what are the alternatives?
   Why: The standard of care here is described in words rather than named products; ask for the names.
2. What is each option trying to achieve: cure, long control, or relief of symptoms, and over what time?
   Why: The aim shapes how much side effect and disruption is worth accepting.
3. What happens if I delay, or decline this step for now? Is the decision reversible?
   Why: Some decisions can wait for a second opinion or a trial slot; others cannot. Knowing which is part of the choice.
4. For my situation (if invasion is found), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
   Why: Guideline options include: The diagnosis becomes invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and is managed on that pathway, with the adjacent Bowen's disease itself usually counted as a high-risk feature of the invasive tumour (RCPath G124). See the cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma page.

Add these to your appointment list, or take the full question set for this cancer.