Sequential treatment of multiple actinic keratoses with solaraze and actikerall

Diclofenac Sodium 3% in Hyaluronic Acid 2.5% Gel Significantly Diminishes the Actinic Keratosis Area and Severity Index

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Actinic keratosis area and severity index (AKASI) is a new assessment tool to quantify the severity of actinic damage on the head. Thus far, it has not been evaluated in monitoring the efficacy of field-directed topical treatments in actinic keratosis (AK) in routine clinical practice. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine treatment outcomes by using AKASI 3 months after the initiation of topical application of diclofenac sodium 3% in hyaluronic acid 2.5% gel (DFS) in patients with AKs on the head.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with AKs who had AKASI scores prior to and after treatment with DFS.

RESULTS

Of the 24 patients included, 20 (83.3%) showed an improvement in AKASI, 2 (8.3%) a stable AKASI, and 2 (8.3%) a worsening of AKASI after a median (interquartile range) follow-up period of 91.5 days (89.8-104.3). The median AKASI reduction was 31.4% (16.7-59.1). The Wilcoxon test showed significant differences (p = 0.0008) between baseline and posttreatment AKASI values.

CONCLUSIONS

AKASI is an easy-to-use quantitative tool for assessing the treatment outcome of field-directed therapies. Field-directed therapies of AK should no longer be monitored by assessments based on lesion counts alone.

Cyclooxygenase in Cancer Prevention and Treatments for Actinic Keratosis

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a chemically diverse class of drugs that target the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway and have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic properties. Elevated expression of COX-2 has been associated with tumor progression in skin cancer through multiple mechanisms. We present evidence for a chemoprotective effect of NSAIDs and discuss potential mechanisms of action of COX-2 in cancer. We also discuss the challenges associated with the treatment of actinic keratosis and the factors that should be taken into consideration when selecting a treatment regimen. A range of treatments are reviewed, with an emphasis on combination therapies.

Low-Dose 0.5% 5-Fluorouracil/10% Salicylic Acid Topical Solution in the Treatment of Actinic Keratoses

Background:

Actinic keratosis (AK) lesions have the potential to develop into invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), and approaches to treatment are evolving to try to reduce the burden of SCC.

Objective:

To present the published clinical research surrounding the use of 0.5% 5-fluorouracil with 10% salicylic acid (low-dose 5-FU/SA) for the treatment of hyperkeratotic AKs.

Method:

A review of published clinical evidence for low-dose 5-FU/SA for the treatment of AKs. The articles were selected following a MEDLINE database search of the combined terms fluorouracil, salicylic acid and actinic keratosis which represent the peer review publications of clinical studies that primarily investigate the use of Actikerall in AK.

Results:

Combining low-dose 5-FU with keratolytic SA is associated with high rates of histologic clearance, reduction in lesion number/area, and sustained clinical response in clinical study and the clinical practice setting. Low-dose 5-FU/SA has also been evaluated using imaging to detect the progression of subclinical AK lesions through a course of the field-directed treatment.

Conclusion:

Low-dose 5-FU/SA is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option licensed for the lesion-directed treatment of mild-to-moderate hyperkeratotic AK lesions.