Abstract
While actinic keratoses (AKs) are commonly considered to represent a “premalignant” condition, some authors have asserted that these, in fact, represent the earliest stage of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (Ackerman and Mones 2006). Nevertheless, the majority of clinicians do not treat these as malignancies but as precursor lesions with malignant potential. Very common in older, photodamaged patients, they appear as gritty, scaly, pink plaques that are often easier to feel than see. For this reason, palpation of the skin is important in their detection.
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References
Ackerman AB, Mones JM (2006) Solar (actinic) keratosis is squamous cell carcinoma. Br J Dermatol 155(1):9–22
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© 2011 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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Hendi, A., Martinez, JC. (2011). Actinic Keratosis. In: Atlas of Skin Cancers. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13399-2_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13399-2_2
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