Lapidus AH, Lee S, Liu ZF, Smithson S, Chew CY, Gin D. Topical Calcipotriol Plus 5-Fluorouracil in the Treatment of Actinic Keratosis, Bowen's Disease, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.
J Cutan Med Surg 2024:12034754241256347. [PMID:
38783539 DOI:
10.1177/12034754241256347]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
Actinic keratoses (AK) are premalignant skin lesions caused by chronic sun exposure, topically managed by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), diclofenac 3% gel, and imiquimod. Despite their effectiveness, long treatment duration and severe adverse local skin reactions have limited patient concordance. Calcipotriol has recently been used as a combination agent for existing topical AK treatments. A systematic review was performed to determine the clinical efficacy of 5-FU and calcipotriol for the treatment of AK, Bowen's disease, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted on Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Among the 84 records screened, 12 were retrieved for full-text review and 8 were included in the final analysis.
RESULTS
Among the 8 studies, there were 214 control patients and 288 patients who received the intervention. The combination 5% 5-FU with calcipotriol resulted in a significant reduction in the number of AKs on the face, scalp, right upper extremity, and left upper extremity for all sites at 8 weeks (P < .0001). No significant difference in SCC incidence was observed at 1 or 2 years, but there was a significant reduction observed at 3 years for SCC on face and scalp. No study assessed the combination for Bowen's disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Combination 5% 5-FU with calcipotriol is an effective treatment for Aks; however, future trials may consider longer treatment and follow-up periods for the treatment and prevention of AK, SCC in situ, and SCC.
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