More Publications by © Chronicle Companies

n+p.PNG
Advertise with Derm.city
Chronicle Companies
Terms of Use Policy
Order "To Heal the Skin"

© Chronicle Companies 2018

Powered by Skin Chronicle International

  • Twitter - Black Circle
  • Facebook - Black Circle
  • YouTube - Black Circle
  • Home

  • Skin Chronicle

  • Primers for your Patient

  • Skin Spectrum Summit

  • Chronicle

  • Contact

  • More...

    Skin Cancer

    Combination 5-FU and synthetic vitamin D found to be effective AK treatment

    November 23, 2016

    |

    by Emily Innes-Leroux, Associate Editor

    Washington University dermatologist Dr. Lynn Cornelius, MD, (left) conducts a skin exam with a patient. Photo by Robert J. Boston, Washington University School of Medicine

     

    A combination of two topical drugs—chemotherapeutic agent 5-flourouracil (5-FU) and the psoriasis treatment calcipotriol (synthetic vitamin D)—triggered a robust immune response against actinic keratosis (AK) in a study published online in The Journal of Clinical Investigation (Nov. 21, 2016).

     

    The researchers, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Harvard Medical School in Boston, found that the investigational treatment activates the immune system’s T cells, which then attack the abnormal skin cells.

     

    “We looked at precancerous lesions on patients with sun-damaged skin,” said Washington University dermatologist and study co-author Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius, director of the Division of Dermatology, in a press release. “Most commonly found on the face, scalp, and arms, these lesions appear abnormal by visual examination and under the microscope, but are not full-blown skin cancers. But because these lesions have the potential to develop into a true skin cancer, they are commonly treated. Our study shows this combination therapy is more effective and better tolerated than current treatment practices.”

     

    “The idea behind this study was to induce a heightened immune response in the skin using calcipotriol combined with the 5-fluorouracil that works to destroy the precancerous cells,” Dr. Cornelius said. “In so doing, the destroyed precancerous cells release cell proteins, or antigens, and facilitate the heightened immune system to respond. We compared the two-drug formulation to 5-fluorouracil alone over a shorter application period—four days as opposed to two to four weeks that is typical for the standard treatment of 5-fluorouracil alone.”

     

    The randomized, double-blind clinical trial involved 132 patients with AKs treated at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Sixty-five of these patients were randomly assigned to receive 5-FU plus 0.005% calcipotriol. The remaining 67 patients served as a control group and received the standard 5-fluorouracil plus Vaseline petroleum jelly. Patients applied the assigned cream twice daily for four days.

     

    Patients in the investigational and control groups began the trial with similar numbers of AKs on each part of the body examined. At each body site evaluated, there were on average about 15 lesions on the face, 22 lesions on the scalp, 14 lesions on the right arm, and 12 on the left arm. Following treatment, facial lesions were reduced by 87.8% in the investigational group versus 26.3% in the control group. On the scalp, lesions were reduced by 76.4% compared with 5.7%. On the right arm, the reduction was 68.8% for the investigational treatment versus 9.6% for the control. On the left arm, the precancerous lesions were reduced by 79% for the investigational treatment compared with 16.3% for the control.

     

    “Because calcipotriol has been shown to induce an immune response, we are now interested in seeing if the anti-tumour immunity of the activated T cells can be recalled later to help prevent both precancerous and cancerous skin lesions,” Dr. Cornelius said.

     

    “We are now planning to re-contact our patients to determine whether there are differences in precancerous and skin cancer rates between the two treatment groups.”

     

    Tags:

    Dermatology

    Actinic keratosis

    Clinical trial

    5-flourouracil

    Calcipotriol

    Topical therapy

    University of Washington

    Please reload

    Featured Posts

    Epigenome a potential target for psoriasis Tx

    December 13, 2019

    New guidelines for rare and dangerous skin tumor

    December 11, 2019

    Reconsider gifting at-home beauty devices this holiday season

    December 9, 2019

    High-dose brachytherapy for BCC, SCC in older patients

    December 6, 2019

    Study: Makeup Products May Harbor Dangerous Bacteria

    December 4, 2019

    Newborn's immune system detects harmful skin bacteria

    December 2, 2019

    Topical rapamycin may slow skin aging

    November 29, 2019

    Statin medications may leave patients vulnerable to skin infections

    November 27, 2019

    Genes show how much sun exposure could lead to melanoma

    November 25, 2019

    Atopic eczema increases fracture risk

    November 22, 2019

    Please reload

    Archive

    December 2019 (6)

    November 2019 (11)

    October 2019 (11)

    September 2019 (13)

    August 2019 (13)

    July 2019 (12)

    June 2019 (11)

    May 2019 (17)

    April 2019 (15)

    March 2019 (13)

    February 2019 (11)

    January 2019 (13)

    December 2018 (12)

    November 2018 (13)

    October 2018 (14)

    September 2018 (9)

    August 2018 (9)

    July 2018 (9)

    June 2018 (13)

    May 2018 (11)

    April 2018 (13)

    March 2018 (13)

    February 2018 (14)

    January 2018 (12)

    December 2017 (6)

    November 2017 (11)

    October 2017 (5)

    September 2017 (4)

    August 2017 (6)

    July 2017 (10)

    June 2017 (12)

    May 2017 (17)

    April 2017 (12)

    March 2017 (19)

    February 2017 (11)

    January 2017 (13)

    December 2016 (11)

    November 2016 (13)

    October 2016 (16)

    September 2016 (16)

    August 2016 (14)

    July 2016 (16)

    June 2016 (16)

    May 2016 (22)

    April 2016 (17)

    March 2016 (15)

    February 2016 (12)

    January 2016 (11)

    December 2015 (13)

    November 2015 (19)

    October 2015 (13)

    September 2015 (15)

    July 2015 (3)

    June 2015 (22)

    March 2015 (3)

    Please reload

    Follow Us
    • Grey Facebook Icon
    • Grey YouTube Icon
    • Grey Instagram Icon
    • Grey Twitter Icon