PDT is Better to Clear Actinic Keratoses (Skin Cancer)

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) appears to better clear actinic keratoses (AK) at three months after treatment than cryotherapy, says a meta-analysis. In the meta-analysis involving 4 studies and 641 patients having 2174 AKs treated with cryotherapy and 2170 AKs treated with PDT, researchers compared the PDT with cryotherapy; and found that patients treated with PDT had a 14% better chance of complete lesion clearance at 3 months following therapy as compared to cryotherapy for thin AKs on the face and scalp. However, the side effect of PDT is that it is associated with local pain owing to photosensitizer activation during light exposure.In view of easier procedure with cryotherapy and side effect with PDT, more research needs to be done to assess and confirm the efficacy and tolerability of both treatments.