High-fat, high-sugar diet may promote adult acne; and actinic keratosis clearance: A conversation on photodynamic therapy combo

Dermatology Weekly

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has become a preferred treatment of field cancerization. Dr. Vincent DeLeo talks to Dr. Martin Miller about results from a split-sided study evaluating the efficacy of CO2 laser ablative fractional resurfacing pretreatment followed by conventional PDT for treatment of actinic keratoses (AKs). They discuss the clinical benefits of PDT for treatment of AKs as well as future directions for this combination therapy for nonmelanoma skin cancers.

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We also bring you the latest in dermatology news and research:

• High-fat, high-sugar diet may promote adult acne
• It's official: COVID-19 was bad for health care business
• If you reopen it, will they come?

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Key takeaways from this episode:

• Photodynamic therapy (PDT) provides consistent predictable results and healing periods without variations in response seen with topical therapies.
• In a split-sided study, pretreatment with CO2 laser ablative fractional resurfacing in combination with conventional PDT showed increased efficacy of AK clearance vs. conventional PDT alone.
• This combination therapy showed clearance of superficial basal cell carcinoma, but nodular basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in situ persisted at 6 months.
• Side effects of treatment included hypopigmentation in face and scalp areas on the laser-treated side.
• Future directions for treatment may include aminolevulinic acid gel 10% with standard PDT as well as combination with a red-light source to achieve deeper penetration into the skin.

Hosts: Nick Andrews, Vincent A. DeLeo, MD (Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles) Guest: Martin B. Miller, MD (University of California, San Francisco)

Disclosures: Dr. DeLeo is a consultant for Estée Lauder. Dr. Miller received grant support and study drug from DUSA Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Show notes by: Alicia Sonners, Melissa Sears

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