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Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Studies · Journal article
Medical Sciences · August 12, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This is a single-centre retrospective registry describing demographic, clinical, and treatment patterns in 369 actinic keratosis patients over 6.5 years. The study reports that field-directed therapies were used in 84% of cases (32% achieved complete clearance) and identifies immunosuppression and multiple contiguous lesions as associated with incomplete response. Because there is no control arm, randomisation, or comparison between treatment strategies, the findings cannot establish superiority or true causation, but may inform hypothesis generation for future prospective work.
Retrospective cohort study (single-centre real-world registry). Patients with actinic keratosis managed at a specialised hospital in Milan. Cohort characteristics: 58% normal weight, 83% higher educational level, 51% with personal skin cancer history, 68% with childhood sunburns, 70% with facial lesions, 54% with multiple contiguous lesion distribution.. Intervention: Field-directed therapies (84% of patients); 45.5% received multiple treatments. Specific agents and protocols not detailed in the abstract.. n = 369. Specialised hospital in Milan, Italy.
369 patients enrolled; 58% normal weight, 83% higher educational level, 51% personal skin cancer history, 68% childhood sunburns, 70% face localisation, 54% multiple contiguous lesion distribution 45.5% received multiple treatments Field-directed therapies prescribed in 84% of cases; 32% achieved complete clearance
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
This real-world characterisation may help clinicians identify subgroups at higher risk of incomplete treatment response (immunosuppressed patients, multiple contiguous lesions) and inform personalised management strategies. However, the lack of a control arm and high loss-to-follow-up (43%) limit any strong inference about which treatments are most effective.
Retrospective, single-centre real-world registry without a control arm, reporting associations and treatment patterns rather than efficacy or superiority; lacks randomisation and cannot establish causation, suitable for hypothesis generation and service characterisation.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
This real-world characterisation may help clinicians identify subgroups at higher risk of incomplete treatment response (immunosuppressed patients, multiple contiguous lesions) and inform personalised management strategies. However, the lack of a control arm and high loss-to-follow-up (43%) limit any strong inference about which treatments are most effective.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Background/Objectives: Actinic keratosis is an intraepithelial lesion that may progress into squamous cell carcinoma; therefore, all lesions should be treated. The study aimed to investigate the potential correlations between patient and lesion characteristics, treatment option choice, and clinical outcomes, analyzing long-term real-world data. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a specialized hospital in Milan. Data on patients with actinic keratoses were collected from January 2018 to July 2024. Results: A total of 369 patients were included, with normal weight (58%), higher educational level (83%), personal skin cancer history (51%), childhood sunburns (68%), and face localization (70%), with multiple contiguous distribution (54%) of lesions. In total, 45.5% received multiple treatments. Field-directed therapies were prescribed in 84% of cases (32% of complete clearance). A total of 43% were lost to follow-up. Higher educational level, personal and familiar skin cancer history, previous atypical naevus excision, higher naevus count, and multiple treatments (p < 0.05) were associated with regularity in visit attendance. In multivariable analysis, immunosuppression (OR = 5.01 [0.97, 29.5], p = 0.056) and multiple contiguous lesions (OR = 4.62 [1.75, 14.7], p = 0.004) were found to be significantly associated with incomplete clinical response. Conclusions: Real-world data on patients with actinic keratoses may help identify more personalized management strategies that influence treatment outcomes and adherence to follow-up.
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