Swartout Laser Center - Pre-cancerous Sun Damage

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are rough, scaly patches on the skin, caused by excessive exposure to the sun, that can sometimes progress into dangerous skin cancers. More than 5 million Americans live with these lesions, and far too many people ignore them, leaving them untreated. This can have serious consequences. Doctors estimate that 40% of squamous cell carcinomas, the second leading cause of skin cancer deaths in the United States, begin as AK's. And without performing a skin biopsy, it can be almost im-possible for a doctor to distinguish an AK from a squamous cell carcinoma.

Enter the Levulan® Kerastick® PDT system. An advanced 2-step treatment for minimally to moderately thick AKs (AKs that have not yet become enlarged and thick) of the face or scalp. The system is unique because it's the only one that uses light to destroy AKs.

The Levulan PDT system has been proven effective in clinical testing. Eight weeks after treatment, it had cleared 100% of AKs in about 2/3 patients. The system more effectively cleared AKs of the face than those of the scalp.