title: Case-based experience in the use of 5-fluorouracil cream 0.5% as monotherapy and in conjunction with glycolic acid peels for the treatment of actinic keratosis.
abstract: Actinic keratosis, commonly indicative of photodamage, requires treatment secondary to the risk of progression to squamous cell carcinoma. A number of effective treatments for actinic keratosis are available, including topical and lesion-directed therapies. While lesion-directed therapies such as cryotherapy are appropriate for isolated lesions, topical 5-fluorouracil is an effective modality for the treatment of multiple facial actinic keratoses. 5-Fluorouracil, available in a number of formulations, offers patients the benefit of treating subclinical lesions and may help to improve the overall appearance of the skin. In many cases, combination therapy is a better treatment option than monotherapy. The cases presented here demonstrate the use of topical 5-fluorouracil cream 0.5% as monotherapy and in conjunction with glycolic acid peels to treat facial actinic keratoses in two patients with extensive histories of prior actinic keratosis and skin cancer.
authors.affiliation: Skin Laser and Surgery Specialists of New York, New York, NY, USA. drdavidgoldberg@skinandlasers.com
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002615:Chemexfoliation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006016:Glycolates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055623:Keratosis, Actinic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006016:Glycolates; D007641:Keratolytic Agents; C031149:glycolic acid; D005472:Fluorouracil