ALDARA (IMIQUIMOD)
Serving Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Grimsby and surrounding areas.
Aldara (Imiquimod):
- Is a cream, which stimulates your body’s immune system to destroy cancerous and precancerous cells.
- Has the advantage of producing little or no scarring when the skin has healed from the treatment.
- It is supplied in small packages. Poke a hole in one corner of the package and squeeze a small amount onto your finger and apply it as directed. You do not have to wear gloves to apply the medication. Wash your hands afterward.
- One package can be used for more than one treatment. Fold over the corner of the package and close it with a paperclip to keep the contents from drying out.
Treatment of Actinic Keratoses:
- Actinic keratoses are precancerous spots that are due to sun exposure from childhood and adulthood. They may develop into a type of skin cancer called Squamous cell carcinoma. They do not develop into Melanoma.
- To treat Actinic keratoses with Aldara apply the cream Monday, Wednesday and Friday night to an affected area that is roughly HALF the size of your palm. Wash it off the next morning.
- Continue using it and do not stop until the area becomes red, crusted, oozing and inflamed. The area may appear to be infected, but it is NOT. You may develop crusting etc. in an area of skin that did not appear to have any actinic keratoses. All these things are normal.
- At the point where the skin has become red, inflamed and crusted, stop using it. You may apply some Polysporin ointment daily if you would like to help the area to heal.
- If you develop pain or open sores in the treated area stop using the Aldara sooner.
- The reaction may take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to develop.
- Once one area has reacted, let it heal for 4 weeks. This is the "resting phase". After the resting phase, re-treat the same area for another 4 weeks if there are still some rough spots (actinic keratoses) present.
- You can treat another new area during the resting phase.
- If you develop flu-like symptoms (aches, pains, fevers) stop using the Aldara until the symptoms improve. You may re-start it, but use the Aldara on a smaller area.
- You may continue to use Anthelios 60 sunscreen to the areas not being treated.
- Aldara is covered on most private drug insurance plans.
- Aldara is not covered on the Ontario ODSP (OHIP) drug plan for patients over 65 years of age.
Treatment of Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Basal Cell Carcinoma is a low-grade form of skin cancer caused by the sun. It is extremely rare for a Basal cell carcinoma to spread internally or to be lethal. Basal cell carcinomas are NOT melanomas. Only superficial forms of Basal Cell Carcinoma can be successfully treated with Aldara. Deep or scarring forms of Basal Cell Carcinoma cannot be adequately treated with Aldara.
- Make sure that you check with your doctor before you start treating any spot with Aldara.
- To treat the Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma with Aldara, apply the cream every night from Monday to Friday; wash it off the next morning. Do not apply it on the weekends.
- If there is no reaction after 2 weeks, use the Aldara every night, including weekends, and wash it off the next morning as usual.
- Continue using it and do not stop until the area becomes red, crusted, oozing and inflamed. The area may appear to be infected, but it is NOT. This is normal.
- At this point stop using it. You may use Polysporin ointment daily if you would like to help it to heal.
- The reaction may take anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months to develop. If there has been no reaction after 4 months, stop the treatment and see your doctor.
- Once one area has reacted, let it heal for 4 weeks. This is the "resting phase". After the resting phase, re-treat the same area for another 4 weeks if there are still some rough spots (actinic keratoses) present.
- You can treat another new area during the resting phase.
- If you develop flu-like symptoms (aches, pains, fevers) stop using the Aldara until the symptoms improve. You may re-start it, but use the Aldara on a smaller area.
- You may continue to use Anthelios 60 sunscreen to the areas not being treated.
- Aldara is covered on most private drug insurance plans.
- Aldara is not covered on the Ontario ODSP (OHIP) drug plan for patients over 65 years of age.
There is an alternative therapy to Aldara for the treatment of actinic keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinoma:
Levulan Photodynamic Therapy (ALA PDT):
- This treatment combines a medication called Levulan with either Blue Light or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments.
- Levulan PDT may be used to treat pre-cancerous sun spots or acne.
- Unlike creams it has the advantage of being able to treat large areas in a single visit.
- Unlike liquid nitrogen, the treatment is not painful.
- Levulan PDT has the advantage of treating precancerous spots before they can be seen, thus preventing skin cancer from developing.
- As an added bonus, Levulan PDT also treats brown freckling, shrinks pores, improves sun damage and increases collagen in the skin.
- All of these lead to smoother, younger looking skin and reduced redness at the same time.
- The cost of Levulan PDT is partially covered on most private drug insurance plans.
- The cost of Levulan PDT is not covered on the Ontario ODSP (OHIP) drug plan for patients over 65 years of age.
For your convenience, many of these products and services are available in my office, or in the on-line store section of this website.
If you would like to learn more, please click on the underlined links in the text above.