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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – There are many benefits about living in a place where we have access to many great outdoor activities. However, time spent in our gardens, on the slopes, and in the water can take its toll—causing early skin aging and increasing our risk for skin cancer. We can’t go back in time to remove the bad sunburn from spring break or undo the harm from years of tanning, but we can reverse some of the signs of sun damage and decrease our risk of skin cancer.
What are precancers?
Precancers, also known as actinic keratoses, are considered to be the earliest stage of skin cancer. They appear as rough, scaly patches on sun-exposed areas of the skin. They range from normal skin color to reddish brown and from the size of a pinhead to larger than an inch. At least 60 percent of people older than age 40 have at least one actinic keratosis, and prevalence increases with age. Actinic keratoses may remain stable, spontaneously resolve, or even progress to a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma—a progression with a risk of about 10 percent. While it is impossible to predict the fate of any one actinic keratosis, people with many lesions face an increased risk of developing skin cancer.
It is best to treat actinic keratoses before they transform into cancers. There are numerous treatment methods, including freezing with liquid nitrogen, scraping of individual lesions, topical prescription creams, and photodynamic therapy (PDT). In addition to these treatments, sunscreens can help to prevent new actinic keratoses from developing.
What is PDT?
While “spot” treatments with liquid nitrogen can be used to treat individual actinic keratoses, this is very difficult when a person has many discrete lesions or widespread sun damage. PDT is FDA approved for treating actinic keratoses and allows “field” treatment of an entire area such as the face, scalp, chest, or arms. PDT is covered by most insurance plans for the treatment of actinic keratoses. While other methods of field therapy require the application of a cream for up to a month, patients who undergo PDT begin healing after just one treatment. PDT has also been used for many other non- FDA-approved conditions, including acne, oily skin, enlarged sebaceous glands, and skin rejuvenation.
How does PDT work?
PDT works by direct injury to the target cells and tissues. PDT uses a light-sensitive compound that is naturally occurring in our bodies. When applied to the skin, there is enhanced absorption by abnormal actinic keratoses cells, sun damaged skin, and acne lesions contrasted to normal skin tissue where absorption is much lower. When activated by specific light sources, the abnormal, sun-damaged cells are destroyed, which results in a sunburned appearance that resolves one to two weeks after treatment. Photodynamic therapy is well tolerated, provides excellent cosmetic results, and has reported cure rates between 69 and 93 percent.
What can I expect from treatment?
PDT is a three-step treatment: Application: The skin is cleaned to remove any oils. Then a photosensitizer is applied to the treatment area. The most commonly used photosensitizer is called Levulan© (aminolevulinic acid). Incubation: The medicine is allowed to incubate (soak into the skin) for between one to three hours, depending on the treatment site and other factors. Activation: The skin is then exposed to a light source: a blue, red, or laser light. During an approximate 15-minute exposure, people usually complain of a burning sensation, which is made more tolerable by blowing cold air on the skin. For several days after treatment, people typically experience moderate skin redness and swelling that is similar to a bad sunburn. This resolves within several days and is followed by skin dryness and peeling that may last seven to ten days after treatment. During the immediate post treatment period, sun protection is vitally important.
After treatment, most patients notice a significant decrease in the number of precancers on their skin and improved skin tone and texture. PDT is usually repeated every two to three years as needed.
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