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Actinic Keratosis – Complications and Risk Factors

Early detection and treatment of actinic keratosis can prevent its progress into skin cancer. Left untreated, these skin patches develop into a serious form of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. Men are at a greater risk than women are.

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Complications and Risk Factors for Actinic Keratosis

New York (USA), June 21, 2013

Actinic Keratosis: Complications

Early detection and treatment of actinic keratosis can prevent its progress into skin cancer. Left untreated, these skin patches develop into a serious form of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. Such cancerous cells grow fast. They easily spread not only to surrounding tissues but also to other parts of your body.

Actinic Keratosis: Risk Factors

Common risk factors of actinic keratosis include:

Skin Type: If you are fair-skinned and blue-eyed, you are at a higher risk for actinic keratosis. If your skin type is Fitzpatrick type I or II, it has a greater tendency to burn than to tan. This leads to actinic keratosis. If your skin type is Fitzpatrick type III, IV, or V, incidence is almost non-existent.

Exposure to Sun: If you work outdoors or are exposed to UV rays for long periods, you develop actinic keratosis. Sometimes excessive exposure to UV rays could cause actinic keratosis even in dark-skinned people.

Age: If you are 40 years and above, you are at a higher risk, if combined with prolonged exposure to sun’s rays.

Sex: Men are at a greater risk than women are – presumably due to outdoor occupation and greater exposure to UV rays.

Weak Immune System: If you are on chemotherapy, AIDS or organ transplant medications, or suffer from leukemia, you have a higher chance of developing actinic keratosis.

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