1.
What is an actinic keratosis?
Actinic keratosis is also called solar keratosis or senile keratosis.
It’s a precancerous skin condition that begins in the epidermis,
or upper layer of the skin.
2. What do actinic keratoses
look like?
Actinic keratoses look like slightly raised tan, brownish, grayish
or reddish rough, dry, scaly spots. Actinic keratoses feel like
sandpaper on the surface of the skin. They measure anywhere from
one-quarter inch to an inch in diameter.
3. How common are actinic
keratoses?
They are the most common pre-malignant skin condition, occurring
in more than five million Americans, most older individuals. They
often affect more men than women but can affect both sexes at any
age, depending on the amount of sun exposure. Fair-skinned people
are more likely to develop actinic keratoses than those with darker
skin. These lesions are found mostly on the face, lower lip, back
of the hands, forearms, bald scalp, and neck.
4. Are actinic keratoses
a serious condition?
Actinic kerastoses, if left untreated, may grow in diameter. They
can become more elevated and occasionally can develop into squamous
cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer.
5. How are actinic keratoses
treated?
Many methods are used to remove actinic keratoses. Cryotherapy often
is used if a patient has just a few lesions. This treatment freezes
the affected skin, thereby destroying the precancerous cells. Another
treatment used is 5-fluorouracil, which is a chemotherapeutic agent
applied to the skin. Other methods are used also, depending on the
number of lesions and the extent of skin damage.
6. Can actinic keratoses
be prevented?
With appropriate sun protection habits, including wearing long-sleeved
shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats as well as using sunscreens,
most actinic keratoses are preventable.
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