New findings show that immunotherapy, used to treat people with advanced cancers, also helps reduce actinic keratoses by at least 65%, potentially reducing future keratinocyte carcinomas.
The research was published online ahead of print in JAMA Dermatology (Feb. 12, 2025).
For the study, for 12 months, researchers monitored 23 patients who had received immunotherapy for unrelated cancers. They found the treatment also targeted cancerous and precancerous lesions, causing some to disappear completely.
In a press release, senior author Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani, MD, PhD, from the University of Queensland, Frazer Institute, located at the Translational Research Institute, said they monitored patients’ actinic keratoses and keratinocyte carcinomas.
“The number of skin lesions on patient’s forearms were counted before the immunotherapy started, and then again at three, six, and 12-month intervals,” Dr. Khosrotehrani said.
“We found a reduction in the number of sunspots in 80 per cent of patients by three months, and in all patients by 12 months.
“On average there was a 65 per cent reduction in sunspots [actinic keratoses], and in one patient we saw all the precancerous lesions completely disappear.”
The patients enrolled in the pilot study were receiving intravenous immunotherapy for advanced cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, tonsillar, and renal cell carcinoma.
“We suspected that immunotherapy could have an impact on these skin cancers, as we know immunotherapy stimulates the immune system, but this is the first time we’ve been able to quantify the impact and show this works in a clinical setting,” Dr. Khosrotehrani said.
“This could pave the way for future clinical trials and explore other strategies to help people who are at an extreme risk of developing skin cancers, especially when other treatment or preventative options aren’t available.”
Lead author Charlotte Cox, MD, said the discovery opened the door to finding other ways to prevent skin cancer.
“Skin cancer is a big problem, it’s the most common cancer diagnosed each year and impacts two thirds of Australians before they turn 70 years old,” Dr. Cox said.
“One million surgical interventions are needed every year in Australia to treat skin cancer, costing the health system $1.8 billion."
“Current therapies don’t stop new skin cancers developing on sun-damaged skin, but this research shows there might be other ways to prevent it occurring.”
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