Case-based considerations in the treatment of actinic keratoses: utilizing combination or sequential therapy with 5-fluorouracil cream and destructive treatments.

Dermatologic conditions associated with prolonged sun exposure represent a substantial portion of visits to the dermatologist's office, particularly among elderly populations Actinic keratoses are premalignant lesions that increase in frequency with each decade of life and have the potential-to progress to squamous cell carcinoma Non-melanoma skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, also represent sun-related conditions that require early and aggressive treatment Therapeutic options for these conditions are abundant and range from topical field-directed therapies to destructive, lesion-directed procedures Choice of therapy depends on the types and extent of lesions with which a patient presents, often, a combination of treatments provides the optimal means for successful outcomes The following case-based review represents typical situations where multiple treatments were combined to manage actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma in patients over an extended treatment period