The Erivedge capsule (Vismodegib) was approved by the FDA last year for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

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One, called Gorlin's syndrome, sometimes causes basal cell skin cancer to blanket patients as soon as they hit puberty.

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Coffee drinkers may also be protecting themselves against basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, according to a July report in the journal Cancer Research.

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With their new laser in hand, Dr Leitgeb and his colleagues set up an experiment that let them test the system on a range of skin conditions, including a healthy human palm, allergy-induced eczema on the forearm, inflammation of the forehead, and two previously diagnosed cases of basal-cell carcinoma.

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