title: Levulan: the first approved topical photosensitizer for the treatment of actinic keratosis.
abstract: Actinic keratosis (AK) is a very common skin problem found in patients over 50 years of age, representing an in situ keratinocytic neoplasm that can progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. One Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for AK of the face and scalp is photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 20% aminolevulinic acid (ALA). This advanced technology has been demonstrated in clinical trials to be effective and well tolerated by patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, VA Medical Center, Long Beach, California 90822-5201, USA.
authors.forename: E W B
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Jeffes
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007642:Keratosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid