Highlights
Actinic Keratoses: Medications
There are several safe and effective medications for the treatment of actinic keratoses. These medications may be combined with medications or procedures, such as Cryosurgery or Curettage.
- Aldara (imiquimod) Cream, 5%
Aldara Cream activates your immune system to help your body fight certain skin diseases, including actinic keratosis. When Aldara Cream is applied to the skin, immune cells are activated and travel to the area. - Carac and Efudex (5-FU)
The active ingredient in Carac® and Efudex® is called fluorouracil (floor-oh-your-a-sill). For more than 40 years, fluorouracil has been used to safely and effectively treat actinic keratoses. Fluorouracil is believed to interfere with a cell's ability to reproduce. Actinic keratoses lesions multiply at a faster rate than normal cells. As a result, the unhealthy cells absorb the fluorouracil faster than healthy, normal cells. - Solaraze (diclofenac)
Solaraze® is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy that is FDA approved for the topical treatment of actinic keratoses lesions. It is the first in a new class of therapy for actinic keratoses and can be used on all affected areas of the body. Solaraze® generally gets rid of actinic keratoses without being overly harsh to the skin.
These medications are generally prescribed for several weeks or months.
Your personal treatment regimen may vary depending on the medication, the area to which it is applied, the number of lesions being treated, and your ability to tolerate any irritation or other side effects. This makes it important to closely follow your doctor's specific instructions.
Aldara Cream is a skin-use only (topical) prescription medicine used to treat certain types of actinic keratosis on the face and scalp of adults with normal immune systems.
Safety Information:
When using Aldara Cream, the most common side effects involve skin reactions in the application area. These include redness, swelling, a sore, blisters, or ulcers, skin that becomes hard or thickened, skin peeling, scabbing and crusting, itching, burning, and changes in skin color that do not always go away.
When using Aldara Cream for actinic keratosis, exposure to sunlight (including sunlamps) should be avoided or minimized during use of Aldara Cream because of concern of heightened sunburn susceptibility. Patients should be warned to use protective clothing (hat) when using Aldara Cream.
Find a Dermatologist near you who specializes in the treatment of skin disorders and beauty enhancement.
View the Aldara Education Video about how to apply Aldara (imiquimod) and what to expect.
Take the Skin Cancer Survey
View the latest Skin Cancer Survey Results
Aldara Rebate Coupon
Carac Rebate Coupon