Actinic Keratoses Treated With 5-fluorouracil Plus Aluminum

Actinic Keratoses Treated With 5-fluorouracil Plus Aluminum: an Exploratory Study

This study is looking at a new way to treat actinic keratoses, which are rough, scaly spots on the skin caused by long-term sun exposure. These spots are common in older adults and, if not treated, can sometimes develop into a type of skin cancer.

Doctors often treat areas with many of these spots by using a prescription cream called 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which helps remove damaged skin cells. This study is testing whether adding aluminum chloride hexahydrate, a medication commonly used to stop bleeding during skin procedures, can improve how well the cream works.

People who take part in this study will receive one of two treatments applied to their skin:

Standard treatment with 5% 5-fluorouracil cream, or A combination of 5% 5-fluorouracil cream plus 15% aluminum chloride hexahydrate cream

The treatment will be applied for one week. A dermatologist will examine the treated skin areas, count the number of actinic keratoses, and take photographs before treatment begins, shortly after treatment ends, and again about eight weeks later. These visits help researchers compare how well each treatment reduces the number of skin spots over time.

The goal of this study is to learn whether adding aluminum chloride hexahydrate to standard treatment helps reduce actinic keratoses more effectively than standard treatment alone.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Less than 50 years due to this being a pathology of adults that develops in chronically sun-damaged skin, individuals <50 years of age are excluded from this study.
• Patients with 4-15 clinically diagnosed AKs on the scalp (16 patients) or on the forearms (16 patients) being followed at the Mohs Surgery clinic by WVU Medicine Dermatology
• Performance status: ECOG Performance status less than or equal to 2
• Patient must provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of a suspected squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or basal cell carcinoma (BCC) lesion or open wound on the treatment site (scalp or forearm)

• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to 15% ACH or other agents used in this study

• Use of one or more of the following products within the past month:

  • Tanning skin colorants
  • Prescription topical drugs
  • Immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive medicines
  • Chemotherapy or cytotoxic medications
  • Photodynamic therapy (PDT) or other treatments of pre-cancers on the skin
  • Vitamin A derivatives taken by mouth

• Patients receiving any other investigational agents

• Patients with immunosuppression or weakened immune systems who may be at a higher risk of infection, including patients who have had chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), who have received transplants, or who are taking medications such as chronic steroids or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drugs