Synonyms ▪ Radiation therapy ▪ X-ray therapy ▪ Radiation treatment Key features ▪ Radiotherapy is an important modality in the treatment of patients with skin malignancies ▪ Radiotherapy may reduce morbidity (as compared to surgery), decrease the risk of recurrent…
Synonym ■ Cryotherapy Key features ■ A minimally invasive surgical technique that utilizes subzero temperatures to destroy benign, premalignant, and malignant lesions ■ Compared to standard excisional surgery, cryosurgery requires less time to perform but healing time is often longer…
The advancements in laser and light therapies over the past three decades are built upon the foundation of Albert Einstein's The Quantum Theory of Light . In these prescient 1917 writings, he proposed, amongst other concepts, that light consists of…
Synonym ▪ LASER – light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation Key features ▪ Laser surgery works via precise tissue heating when optical energy is absorbed within the skin ▪ Heat is created exactly where light is absorbed by molecules…
Synonym ▪ Photoradiation therapy Key features ▪ Over the past two decades, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has evolved into a practical and effective therapeutic option, especially for actinic keratoses (AKs) and superficial non-melanoma skin cancers, with an expanding range of applications…
Key features ■ Phototherapy represents the use of ultraviolet (UV) radiation for the treatment of skin diseases ■ Currently, phototherapy encompasses irradiation with broadband UVB (290–320 nm), narrowband UVB (311–313 nm), 308 nm excimer laser, UVA1 (340–400 nm), UVA (320–400 nm) plus psoralens (PUVA) or…
Key features ▪ Globally, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly utilized by patients with skin disease ▪ CAM encompasses a diverse group of therapies and systems, many without strong evidence of efficacy ▪ Among dermatology patients, the most popular…
Key features ▪ Modern sunscreens were first developed during the 1940s with the primary aim of preventing sunburn. Today, sunscreens are also used to prevent other aspects of photodamage, including carcinogenesis and photoaging ▪ The active ingredients in sunscreens include:…
Introduction There are two concerns in drug safety: drug reactions and drug interactions. When multiple medications are prescribed, drug interactions become an important safety and efficacy consideration for patients and physicians alike . Non-prescription drugs, as well as herbal or…
Introduction This chapter is designed to be a broad overview of selected systemic therapies for dermatologic diseases. It provides an historical perspective for each drug, a discussion of its mechanism of action and side effects, and touches briefly on indications…