There are several treatments your health care professional may use for your actinic keratosis. Choice of treatment depends on the extent and location of the precancerous lesions.

• Medical
• Surgical
• Laser

• Uses chemotherapy agents, like 5-fluorouracil (Efudex, Carac), to treat precancerous cells.

• Imiquimod (Aldara) is a recently FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved topical cream that may stimulate an immune response against precancerous cells.

• Diclofenac (Solaraze) is another recently FDA approved topical gel that may eliminate some actinic keratoses over a 90-day treatment period.

Surgical

Cryotherapy

• Precancerous lesions are frozen and destroyed with liquid nitrogen.

• Precancerous lesions are scraped away with a curette, a semi-sharp, scoop-shaped instrument. The area is then cauterized with an electric needle to control bleeding and treat any remaining precancerous cells.

Laser

Photodynamic therapy (PDT)

• Combines a drug (called a photosensitizer) with a specific type of light to treat precancerous cells.

Resurfacing

• A laser is used to remove or destroy precancer cells.