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Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Actinic Keratoses
Overview
Actinic keratoses (also called solar keratoses) are precancerous flat or thickened skin growths caused by sun exposure. They look like crusted, scaly, calloused growths or lesions on the skin and can sometimes burn or itch. They are usually small and red, with a white or yellow crust. They also may bleed, and they usually do not go away on their own.
While they are sometimes mistaken for less serious skin problems called seborrheic keratoses, these growths are more serious because, in some rare instances, they can turn into cancer. If you think you may have one of these growths, it is important to make an appointment to see us for treatment.
We treat actinic keratoses with freezing, burning (electrocautery), surgical removal, scraping (curettage), medications applied to the surface of the skin, and photodynamic therapy.
You can prevent these skin growths by protecting your skin from the sun throughout your life by:
- Avoiding deliberate tanning, especially tanning beds.
- Using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
- Wearing hats and protective clothing.
Causes
Actinic keratoses are usually caused by ultraviolet (UV) light from sun exposure over many years. Although they can appear when a person is younger, they are most common in people over the age of 50 with fair skin and light eyes who burn frequently and tan poorly.
People whose immune systems are compromised due to organ transplant, HIV, chemotherapy, or other skin condition treatments using photodynamic therapy are also susceptible to developing these growths.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Actinic keratoses feel rough on the skin. They range in color from skin-toned through yellow to red and are most likely to appear on the face, scalp, hands, ears, lower lip, neck, and forearms – places on the body that have been exposed to the sun over a long period. In fair-skinned people, they are more often felt than seen.
Although they are not actually skin cancer, and very few of them actually become cancer, when malignant changes do occur, the cancer is called squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer is dangerous because it may spread to other organs beyond the skin.
We can usually diagnose the skin lesions through visual inspection of the skin. To confirm our visual assessment, if we are not sure, we may do a biopsy.
Actinic Keratosis Lesion
Treatment
We use 3 main categories of treatment: cryotherapy, medicated creams, or surgical removal. The goal of treatment is to remove the lesion and prevent it from progressing to cancer.
Options for treatment include:
- Freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). We usually apply liquid nitrogen with a cottontip applicator or as a spray. After spraying, a blister will appear under the skin. Try not to pick at it. It will change color and fall off on its own after a number of days. Cryosurgery can remove many actinic keratoses. However, large, thick growths may require another method. One possible side effect of cryosurgery is discoloration of the skin.
- Creams and salves. Sometimes we use cream medications to destroy the cells in actinic keratoses or to change the skin's immune response to eliminate the potentially cancerous cells.
- Curettage, or scraping the skin's surface with a special instrument. This method is used to treat thinner or flat growths. We will usually numb the area first with an injection or with a swab. The procedure can cause permanent skin discoloration.
- Photodynamic therapy. This method uses a light combined with a medication that makes your skin sensitive to light to remove the growth.
Prevention
Since actinic keratoses are usually caused by prolonged sun exposure over many years, the most important thing you can do to prevent these growths from developing is to protect yourself from the sun.
Use sunscreen. Make sure that you use sunscreen prior to being in the sun. Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher that provides broad-spectrum coverage against both UVA and UVB light. Be sure to apply to all sun-exposed areas, including lips, ears, and the top of your scalp.
Avoid deliberate tanning and limit your time in the sun. Be especially careful at the beach where the chance of burning is intensified by the reflection of the water and sand. Bring an umbrella or find a shady place to sit. Avoid tanning salons where you are exposed to intense UV light. Tanning beds are known to cause skin cancer. You can use sunless tanning creams or bronzing lotions to give you a tan without danger.
Wear hats and protective clothing. If you know you are going to be in the sun, wear a hat and protective clothing with a tight weave, along with sunscreen, to minimize burning.
Check your skin regularly. Have someone check the areas of your skin that you cannot easily see or use a hand mirror to check your body for any unusual spots or growths.
Additional References:
Related Health Tools:
Podcasts
- Sun Protection Sun Protection
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.