Does skin cancer screening treat actinic keratosis?

Actinic keratosis is a rough, scaly area caused by long-term sun damage. It can appear as a dry-feeling patch on exposed skin, although appearance alone cannot confirm the diagnosis. Screening involves examining your skin, asking about changes, and deciding whether a spot needs closer assessment. It may identify actinic keratosis or another lesion, but the examination itself does not remove abnormal cells.

After assessment, a clinician may discuss observation, a medicine applied to the skin, freezing, light-based treatment, or removal of a particular area. The choice depends on the number, size, location, thickness, and appearance of the lesions.

Book an examination for a new rough patch, a spot that keeps returning, or an area that does not settle. Do not scrape or burn it yourself. Record when you first noticed it and mention previous sun exposure, treatments, and any immune-system condition or medicine. Protect exposed skin from sunlight with clothing, shade, and sunscreen as advised.

Seek prompt medical review if the area becomes tender, thickens, enlarges, bleeds, forms a sore, or fails to heal. A changing or painful lesion needs assessment because actinic keratosis can resemble other sun-related skin problems, and some lesions require treatment rather than watchful review.

Ask whether the spot looks like actinic keratosis, whether a sample is needed, which treatment fits its location, and how to check your skin between appointments. Ask what change should trigger an earlier review.