About precancerous dermatosis

What is precancerous dermatosis?

Bowen disease is a rare skin disorder. Affected individuals develop a slow-growing, reddish scaly patch or plaque on the skin. Sun exposed areas of the skin are most often affected. Bowen disease only affects the outermost layer of the skin (epidermis). Lesions are usually not painful or may not be associated with any symptoms (asymptomatic). In most cases, treatment is highly successful. Bowen disease is considered a pre-cancerous condition, although the risk of developing skin cancer is less than 10 percent. The disorder usually affects older adults. The exact cause of Bowen disease is unknown, although there are identified risk factors such as chronic sun exposure.

Bowen disease was first described in the medical literature by a physician named JT Bowen in 1912. Bowen disease is also known as squamous cell carcinoma in situ, and is generally considered an early, noninvasive form of intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma. Intraepidermal means that the disease occurs inside the epidermal layer of the skin.

What are the symptoms for precancerous dermatosis?

Small scaly crusty patches of varying color on the surface of the skin symptom was found in the precancerous dermatosis condition

Precancerous dermatosis is a skin disease marked by scaly or thickened patches on the skin and often caused by prolonged exposure to arsenic.

  • The patches often occur on sun-exposed areas of the skin and in older white men.
  • These patches may become cancerous.
  • There are many types of this cancerous lesion, including Bowen's disease, actinic keratosis, etc.
  • Precancerous skin growths can have a variety of colors, shapes, and textures depending on the types of lesions.
  • Some have a characteristic appearance, while others are more easily identified when touched.
  • However, not all cases are easily detectable and must be properly assessed for early detection of precancerous skin.
  • Actinic keratosis (AK), for example, usually appears as small, scaly, or crusty patches that can be pink, red, or varying colors throughout the lesion. Because of their rough and often bumpy texture, AK is easier to feel than to see.
  • Actinic cheilitis is a variant of AK and presents with similar dry, flaky patches mainly affecting the lower lip. This can sometimes lead to small visible wrinkles or ulcers on the lip.
  • Bowen disease also presents with red and scaly, dry patches, however, these patches tend to be larger than those associated with AK.
  • Finally, leukoplakia refers to a white lesion, usually inside the mouth, that has an irregular shape and raised borders.


Symptoms
Small scaly crusty patches of varying color on surface of the skin
Conditions
Actinic keratosis,Actinic cheilitis,Bowen disease,Leukoplakia
Drugs
5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cream,Photdynamic therapy

What are the causes for precancerous dermatosis?

A skin disease precancerous dermatosis is marked by scaly or thickened patches on the skin and often caused by prolonged exposure to arsenic. The patches often occur on sun-exposed areas of the skin and in older white men. These patches may become malignant.

Causes

  • Actinic keratosis is caused by long-term exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and is usually found in patients age 40 or older.
  • The precise cause of Bowen’s disease is unknown, but this precancerous skin condition is generally linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV); long-term sun exposure or use of tanning beds; and a weakened immune system.
  • It appears most often on areas of the body frequently exposed to the sun, such as the crown of the head and lower legs.
  • Most individuals with this condition have one patch of the affected skin, but more than one area of skin may be affected at a time.
  • The most common cause of precancerous skin is damage to the DNA inside skin cells.
  • Damage to DNA can cause changes in various genes that usually control cell growth, prolong cell survival, manage cell division, and prevent unwanted cell death. If such changes occur, they can progressively result in uncontrolled cell growth, known as cancer.


Symptoms
Small scaly crusty patches of varying color on surface of the skin
Conditions
Actinic keratosis,Actinic cheilitis,Bowen disease,Leukoplakia
Drugs
5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cream,Photdynamic therapy

What are the treatments for precancerous dermatosis?

 A newly approved gel appears effective in treating a condition called actinic keratosis, which is a common precursor to squamous cell skin cancer, a new study finds.

Earlier topical treatments took weeks or even months to treat the condition, but the new product -- Picato (ingenol mebutate) gel -- can work in a matter of days, according to the report in the March 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Picato for use on actinic keratoses in January. The new study was funded by LEO Pharma, the maker of Ingenol.

For the study, more than 900 people with actinic keratoses on their face or scalp, or elsewhere on their body (trunk, arms or legs) were randomly assigned to treatment with either Picato or an inactive placebo.

The researchers found that when used on the face or scalp, the gel cleared the condition nearly 43 percent of the time, compared with nearly 4 percent for the placebo.

When used on the trunk or extremities, the gel was again more effective than placebo -- about 34 percent for the gel versus nearly 5 percent for the placebo, the study authors noted.

Local skin reactions such as redness and crustiness developed within several days, but were gone quickly, and side effects were mild to moderate and went away without any problem, according to the report.

And because treatment takes less time, patients are more likely to adhere to their treatment, said study co-author Dr. Neil Swanson, director of dermatologic surgery at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

In addition to skin gels, doctors treat actinic keratosis in other ways that include burning or scraping with an electric or laser device, cutting the tumor out, or freezing the tumor in a procedure called cryotherapy.

What are the risk factors for precancerous dermatosis?

The precancerous dermatosis skin condition is generally found on areas of the body commonly exposed to the sun, such as the ears, face, chest, forearms, hands, and neck. While anyone can develop AK, the likelihood of development increases with a combination of environmental and personal factors, such as those that:

  • Have a tendency to freckle and/or burn when exposed to the sun;
  • Have blond or red-colored hair and blue or light-colored eyes; and
  • Live in a sunny environment or have previously experienced frequent and/or severe sunburns.
  • wide variety of genetic and environmental risk factors can lead to DNA damage and consequent development of precancerous skin. These can include certain personal characteristics, exposure to UV radiation, certain viral infections, and some genetic conditions.

Personal characteristics and history

  • Individuals with lighter pigmentation of their skin, natural hair color, and eye color are more sensitive to developing precancerous skin growths. Similarly, sensitive skin types, such as those prone to developing sunburns, freckles, or moles when exposed to the sun, are also at a higher risk. Additionally, smoking is the most common risk factor for the development of leukoplakia in and around the mouth.
  • Individual and family history of various types of skin cancer can also increase the likelihood of developing precancerous skin.
  • UV rays
  • Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which occurs naturally from the sun or artificially from tanning beds, is made up of rays that can penetrate the skin.
  • Viral infections
  • Certain viral infections, such as the human papiloma virus, can also lead to the development of precancerous skin. Such viruses have genes that affect the growth-regulating proteins of infected skin cells.


Symptoms
Small scaly crusty patches of varying color on surface of the skin
Conditions
Actinic keratosis,Actinic cheilitis,Bowen disease,Leukoplakia
Drugs
5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cream,Photdynamic therapy

Is there a cure/medications for precancerous dermatosis?

A skin disease precancerous dermatosis, marked by scaly or thickened patches on the skin and often caused by prolonged exposure to arsenic. The patches often occur on sun-exposed areas of the skin and in older white men. These patches may become malignant.

  • Treatment options for precancerous skin growths usually depend on the number and location of affected areas.
  • Most mild cases require the watch-and-wait technique, which refers to active surveillance through skin cancer screenings by board-certified dermatologists.
  • In more severe cases, medications could be applied directly on the skin in the form of creams or gels, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).
  • For small and localized lesions, healthcare professionals may suggest photodynamic therapy, which combines light energy and specific medications to destroy the precancerous tissue.
  • With more aggressive lesions, surgical removal may be suggested through cryosurgery, which uses extremely cold temperatures to destroy the cancerous tissues, or through radiofrequency ablation, which uses high-frequency electric currents to remove affected tissues and stop any associated bleeding.
  • In addition, adequate sun protection, such as the use of sunscreen lotion, is also highly recommended in order to limit the progression and recurrence of precancerous lesions.


Symptoms
Small scaly crusty patches of varying color on surface of the skin
Conditions
Actinic keratosis,Actinic cheilitis,Bowen disease,Leukoplakia
Drugs
5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cream,Photdynamic therapy

Video related to precancerous dermatosis