16/01/2026
We are proud to share that the RADICAL trial, led by MASC Trials, has had another Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology publication (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2025.12.053), presenting its economic evaluation. The study, led by Prof Pascale Guitera and Prof Angela Hong, compared two non-surgical treatments for lentigo maligna – imiquimod (a topical cream) and radiotherapy – when surgery isn’t an option.
Lentigo maligna (LM) is an early melanoma typically found on sun-damaged skin, with surgery being the preferred treatment. When surgery isn’t possible, alternatives are needed.
RADICAL, a multi-centre phase 3 trial, enrolled 126 participants across Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil, randomising them to either 12 weeks of imiquimod or radiotherapy, with 24 months of follow-up. The main study results showed that both treatments are effective, with response rates of 95% at 6 months and no significant differences in treatment failure, patient-reported skin symptoms, or quality of life at 24 months.
This latest analysis showed that imiquimod is a substantially more cost-effective treatment option for LM than radiotherapy, Radiotherapy incurred substantially higher healthcare system costs per patient, required more treatment visits and resulted in greater productivity losses and travel time costs compared to imiquimod. These results provide economic evidence to inform non-surgical treatment selection and patient-centred shared decision-making for lentigo maligna management.
