Actinic keratosis (AK) is a widespread pre-cancerous skin condition that may evolve to squamous cell carcinoma, a non-melanoma skin cancer, which is able to become locally invasive and metastatic. Thus, it is important to treat AK. : We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis for the field-directed therapeutic approaches: local application of drugs containing 5-fluorouracil, both alone at a 4% concentration and associated to 10% salicylic acid at a 0.5% concentration (0.5% 5-FU + 10% SA cut. sol.); diclofenac-hyaluronic acid gel; imiquimod, both at 3.75% and 5% (5% IMQ cream) concentrations; and tirbanibulin ointment. The effectiveness data were abstracted from the literature. The cost-effectiveness analysis was performed by considering the prices reported by Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA) for each medicine. : We obtained the total cost for each treatment by computing the cost of a single treatment for its duration. Application of 0.5% 5-FU + 10% SA cut. sol. appeared as the most convenient approach, as it was more effective and less expensive than all treatments except for 5% IMQ cream. For this last option, the incremental cost/effectiveness ratio analysis showed that a modest gain in effectiveness has a cost of EUR 7.94, therefore making it less cost effective.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11546280PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm13216312DOI Listing

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