Actinic Keratosis
One of the early signs of skin cancer is actinic keratosis (or "AK"), which first presents itself as a small, rough, slightly-coloured area of skin. As this patch or lesion enlarges it may become pink or reddish in colour; and thicken while growing outwards. The condition is painless, but can be tender to the touch.
Actinic keratosis is most often seen in fair-skinned individuals who have spent a lot of time outdoors or who have exposed their skin to indoor tanning. It is most commonly found on the scalp, ears, face, back of the neck, backs of hands, forearms and legs. It is more commonly found in the elderly as actinic keratosis often involves cumulative years of sun damage and/or takes many years from the initial damage to fully develop.
Why Actinic Keratosis is Linked to Skin Cancer
Some actinic keratoses become invasive squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive type of non-melanoma skin cancer. The presence of actinic keratosis is known to be a marker for other skin cancers like basal cell carcinomas as well.
Actinic Keratosis Treatment
Most Vancouver dermatologists will advise treatment of actinic keratoses at an early stage to help prevent the possibility of skin cancer developing. One of the most recent methods of actinic keratosis treatment utilizes the Fraxel re:store DUAL laser, which received FDA clearance for the treatment of actinic keratosis in September 2010. During a six-month clinical study of 21 subjects at several dermatology centers around the US, there was an 83.5% average reduction of actinic keratoses lesions using the Fraxel re:store Dual laser. Treatments were shown to be effective on multiple areas of the body such as the face, arms, hands and chest.*
Prevention of Actinic Keratosis
When it comes to skin cancer and actinic keratosis, prevention is always the best policy—but early detection can be an effective way to limit damage. Monitor changes in your skin and enlist your doctor's help. And we’ll say it again: reducing exposure to sunlight is an important way to prevent skin damage and potential skin cancers.
If you have sun damaged skin, are unsure about certain lesions or moles that have developed on your skin and/or are seeking treatment for actinic keratosis in Vancouver, please make an appointment with one of our doctors.
*Source: Solta Medical Inc.