Actinic Keratoses Treated With 5-fluorouracil Plus Aluminum

This study is looking at a new way to treat actinic keratoses, which are rough, scaly spots on the skin caused by long-term sun exposure. These spots are common in older adults and, if not treated, can sometimes develop into a type of skin cancer.

Doctors often treat areas with many of these spots by using a prescription cream called 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which helps remove damaged skin cells. This study is testing whether adding aluminum chloride hexahydrate, a medication commonly used to stop bleeding during skin procedures, can improve how well the cream works.

People who take part in this study will receive one of two treatments applied to their skin:

Standard treatment with 5% 5-fluorouracil cream, or A combination of 5% 5-fluorouracil cream plus 15% aluminum chloride hexahydrate cream

The treatment will be applied for one week. A dermatologist will examine the treated skin areas, count the number of actinic keratoses, and take photographs before treatment begins, shortly after treatment ends, and again about eight weeks later. These visits help researchers compare how well each treatment reduces the number of skin spots over time.

The goal of this study is to learn whether adding aluminum chloride hexahydrate to standard treatment helps reduce actinic keratoses more effectively than standard treatment alone.