Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for Oral Isotretinoin Versus Topical Tretinoin for Actinic Keratosis

Study Description

Brief Summary: Actinic keratosis (AKs) are premalignant disorders that can evolve into skin cancer. To prevent their development, a study is being conducted with oral isotretinoin and topical tretinoin to verify what drug is the most effective and has the best security profile for these patients. Along with these treatments, cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen and sunscreens will be part of the treatment. The study will have the duration of 10 months. In the first four months, the AKs will be counted and treated with cryotherapy (face and arms) and sunscreens FPS 60 will be used. After it, the patients will return (the AKs will be counted), a new session of cryotherapy will be performed and they will be randomized into two groups: one group using oral isotretinoin 10mg/day ( ISO: 30 patients) and the other one using tretinoin 0,05% cream (AR: 30 patients) applied on face and arms. Skin biopsies will be done for all 60 patients at the beginning of the treatment with retinoids (isotretinoin and tretinoin). After six months of treatment with retinoids, the study will be stopped, AKs will be counted again and skin biopsies will be done. Patients in the group ISO (oral isotretinoin) also have to make blood tests at the beginning, two months and after six months of the treatment. Clinical (AK counting), histological (improvement of parts of the skin) and immunohistochemical parameters will be evaluated to see what drug is more effective for prevention of AKs.

Detailed Description: This study is a randomized controlled trial with 60 men and women (already in menopause for at least one year), aged 50-75 years. At the beginning, the number of actinic keratosis (AKs) of face and forearms will be counted and treated with cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen (LN).The patients will be randomized in two groups: one receiving oral isotretinoin 10mg/day every day and other receiving tretinoin 0,05% cream applied in the face and arms every other night, for six months. Along with these treatments, patients will use sunscreens FPS 60 with UVA and UVB protection. The inclusion criteria will be the presence of at least 10 and maximum 40 AKs (visible or palpable). Skin biopsies will be performed twice (before and after treatment with retinoids) for all patients, in the left forearm at a standardized site. Histological and immunohistochemical with blinded- evaluator analysis will be done. The main objective of the study is to evaluate clinical, histological and immunohistochemical effects of retinoids for AK prevention on face and forearms of immunocompetent individuals. Efficacy evaluation will be measured by improving clinical (AK counting before and after treatments), histopathological (Hematoxilin-eosin and Verhoeff staining) and immunohistochemical parameters (markers for carcinogenesis - p53 protein, Bcl-2 and Bax). The secondary objective is evaluate the tolerability and safety of the drugs and their impact in quality of life. The safety analysis will be related to adverse events of the two drugs and the blood tests will be performed in the ISO group patients. Indirectly, by decreasing the number of AKs and the expression of cutaneous carcinogenesis markers, a decrease in the risk of squamous cell carcinoma could be infered . This principle is used by many drugs called chemoprophylactic drugs, and the retinoids are considered in this group.

Keywords

Eligibility

Minimum Age: 50 Years

Eligible Ages: ADULT, OLDER_ADULT

Sex: ALL

Healthy Volunteers: No

Locations

Contact Details

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