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TAKE CARE OF SUN DAMAGE
WHAT IS ACTINIC KERATOSIS?
Actinic Keratosis (AK) (plural: Actinic Keratoses, AKs) are premalignant lesions of the skin that, when left untreated, can potentially develop into skin cancer. There are different stages of AK, ranging from mild to severe, with different amounts of scale and color. AKs often occur as multiple lesions on skin areas frequently exposed to the sun, e.g. the face, scalp, neck, ears, arms and hands.
WHO IS AFFECTED BY ACTINIC KERATOSIS?
Since the damage caused by frequent sun exposure is accumulated over many years, people in the second half of their life are most frequently affected with actinic keratoses (age 40 and older). The fact that tanning has been very popular for decades has led to an increase in AK with more and more people being affected as they grow older. Sun worshipers are at an increased risk, and even if you have not been sun bathing, outdoor activities such as gardening, walking in the sun, and working outside can cause enough damage that you may be at risk for developing actinic keratoses.
WHY TREAT ACTINIC KERATOSIS?
AK is the most frequent precancer. It can potentially develop into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common skin cancer, which can become life threatening if untreated and may require surgery. A retrospective study has shown that in up to 10% of AK patients, individual AK lesions progressed to SCC within an average of two years. Therefore, treating AK during the early stages is a safe and effective way of reducing the risk of AK progression to skin cancer.
WHAT IS PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY (PDT)?
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a highly effective, non-invasive, irradiation-free light therapy to treat Actinic Keratosis (AK). In principle, it uses light and a photosensitizing (i.e. making something sensitive to light) gel or solution. One of these photosensitizing substances is Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA), a naturally occurring precursor of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), the photoactive (i.e. activated by light) substance. Once inside the cell, ALA is converted into PpIX by a series of enzymatic reactions. PpIX is activated by light in the presence of oxygen, resulting in the elimination of AK cells. Aminolevulinic acid is primarily absorbed by premalignant cells, leaving healthy skin cells mostly intact.