Actinic Keratoses

By Louise Gagnon – Correspondent, The Chronicle

Introduction of new products may produce less irritation for patients

(Excerpt)

Energy-based treatments

Dr. Lisa Kellett, a dermatologist in Toronto and Director of DLK on Avenue, looks to laser-assisted drug delivery, using a resurfacing device, to deliver levulin for the management of AKs in all skin types.

“You use the laser first, and you deliver the levulin down the channels, and then you activate with the light,” explained Dr. Kellett, noting the procedure is well-tolerated and does not leave any scarring. “You are increasing drug delivery by delivering it through micro channels. It is fantastic because you can treat the entire skin surface.”

Another advantage is that laser-assisted drug delivery is really a field therapy, so it is reaching subclinical actinic damage not visible to the human eye, said Dr. Kellett, explaining laser-assisted drug delivery is delivered once monthly until the AKs are gone.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) remains an option to treat AKs, and some exploration as to how to best deliver it with minimal pain has taken place, noted Dr. Lupin. In one investigation, a simultaneous “incubation-illumination” regimen was compared to standard PDT, which consists of one hour of aminolevulinic acid preincubation followed by use of blue light.