Patient-reported outcomes of topical therapies in actinic keratosis: A systematic review

Patients' perspectives on actinic keratosis treatments may have an impact on treatment adherence and, therefore, therapeutic outcomes. We performed a systematic review to assess patients' perspectives of topical, field-directed treatments for actinic keratoses. A literature search was conducted, and 14 studies were identified encompassing 4433 patients. Only four studies were focused on face and/or scalp, which are the locations that typically impact patients' quality of life. Four studies were clinical trials. One study utilized a validated patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instrument specifically developed for actinic keratosis. In general, treatment adherence and patient satisfaction were better with shorter-duration treatment regimens such as ingenol mebutate gel. Imiquimod improved quality of life in one study but not in another. No data was available on topical piroxicam. The findings underscore the need for effective and well-tolerated, short-duration topical treatment for actinic keratosis.