Gorlin Syndrome is also called nevoid basal cell carcinomas syndrome because approximately 90% of individuals with this syndrome will develop multiple basal cell carcinomas, ranging from a few to many thousands of lesions during their lifetime. 

Painful surgical excision is the treatment of choice for basal cell carcinomas.  However, as multiple basal cell carcinomas continue to evolve, repeated surgical intervention becomes impossible, and therefore, an important consideration in the treatment of Gorlin syndrome is preventing the development of new basal cell carcinomas.

It is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder, mostly caused by inheritance of one defective copy of the tumor suppressor gene PTCH1. Gorlin syndrome affects approximately 1 in 31,000 people in the U.S.

For more information, please visit our partner’s, Gorlin Syndrome Alliance website: https://gorlinsyndrome.org