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DERMETRICSScience. Care. Longevity.

Patient Information

Actinic KeratosesSkin cancer precursor, non-melanoma skin cancer

Development, recognition and treatment of one of the most common precursors of non-melanoma skin cancer.

In short: Actinic keratoses result from chronic UV damage to the skin and are among the most common skin changes overall. They appear as rough, scaly, reddish patches on sun-exposed areas such as the face, scalp, ears and the backs of the hands. They are considered a precursor of squamous cell carcinoma, and overall risk rises with the number of lesions.

Overview

Actinic keratoses result from chronic UV damage to the skin and are among the most common skin changes overall. The risk increases with age, a fair skin type, years of occupational sun exposure and a weakened immune system.

They appear as rough, scaly, often reddish patches or plaques on sun-exposed areas such as the face, scalp, ears and the backs of the hands.

Actinic keratoses are considered a precursor of squamous cell carcinoma. A single lesion rarely progresses, but the overall risk rises markedly with the number of lesions, because it is not just the individual spot but the entire affected skin region that is pre-damaged.

Treatment Options

Cryotherapy

The individual lesion is frozen with liquid nitrogen. The advantage is fast, targeted application directly at the practice; the disadvantage is that only the visible lesion is treated, not the surrounding, similarly pre-damaged skin area.

Topical Therapies (5-FU, Aldara)

The advantage of these cream-based methods is that they are easy to apply at home. The cream is applied twice daily over six weeks; redness and inflammation of the treated areas occur regularly during this time, and in individual cases pronounced reactions with blistering can occur, until the skin has fully healed.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

Treatment takes place directly at the practice, takes around two hours and can be carried out year-round. Afterwards, direct sun exposure must be avoided for a few days; for more severely affected areas on the face, visible crusting occurs for around five to ten days.

The Dermetrics treatment methodology relies not only on the targeted treatment of individual actinic keratoses, but on broader skin rejuvenation: complemented by laser resurfacing to renew the skin structure and a sun-protection protocol of sunscreen, niacinamide and retinoic acid, to help prevent recurring lesions and the development of skin cancer in the long term.

Sources

  1. Fabbrocini G. et al., The State of the Art in the Treatment of Actinic Keratosis and Field Cancerization, narrative review.
  2. Fernandez Figueras M.T., Progression of actinic keratosis to squamous cell carcinoma revisited, PubMed.
  3. Dianzani C. et al., Field Cancerization Therapies for the Management of Actinic Keratosis, American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

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Dermetrics — Dr. med. Paul Georg

Board-certified specialist in Dermatology and Venereology · Clinic Selnau · Partner practice MediX Altstetten

This page provides general patient information and does not replace individual medical advice.