Optimal treatment of actinic keratosis

Gary GoldenbergMount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USAWe read with interest the review by Uhlenhake on treatments for actinic keratosis (AK).1 The author presents a summary of the various AK treatment options used to reduce the risk of progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The article includes a table (Table 1) comparing advantages and side effects of these options.Patient-administered topical treatments are an important strategy for treating confluent AKs and areas of sun-damaged skin that may contain subclinical AKs. Rates of complete and partial clearance are similar across the topical agents (fluorouracil, imiquimod, diclofenac, and ingenol mebutate). It is noteworthy that the uniquely brief regimen for ingenol mebutate, 2 to 3 days, produced clearance rates similar to those with the other agents, which have treatment regimens of several weeks.1View original paper by Uhlenhake