Nanosecond-Pulsed DBD Plasma For A Clinical Trial Of Actinic Keratosis

Abstract

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a pre-cancerous skin lesion, the earliest clinical stage in a continuum of malignancy that may lead to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a skin cancer that accounts for significant morbidity (over 1 million cases in the US annually), and thousands of preventable deaths annually. This translates to a total direct cost for AK of about $1.2 billion and approximately 8.2 million office visits annually. Available treatments ablate lesions via cryotherapy, curettage or long-term application of chemotherapeutic or immune-modulator drugs. They are typically associated with pain, scarring and inflammation, undesirable side effects that reduce patient compliance. To address these, we studied the use of non-equilibrium, atmospheric pressure plasma (NEAPP) for the treatment of AK in a small clinical trial. [1] One month post NEAPP treatment, over 50% of the lesions achieved full clinical resolution or showed significant improvement. Abscopal effects were observed in some cases, possibly through immune stimulation. [2] Furthermore, no patient experienced adverse effects, immediate or delayed. One year follow-up showed no recurrence of any of the treated lesions. [unpublished data] 2-year follow-up results and further optimization of treatment under a new clinical trial will be presented. Our results demonstrate that NEAPP may serve as a potential, effective treatment for AKs.

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Evaluation of nspDBD treatment of AK. 9 lesions fully resolved, 3 showed significant improvement