Laser rejuvenation may shield aging skin from cancer

NCT ID NCT03906253

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a single session of fractionated laser resurfacing on one forearm can reduce precancerous spots (actinic keratosis) and prevent future non-melanoma skin cancers in older adults with fair skin. Participants are at least 60 years old and have had actinic keratosis in the past six months. The treated arm is compared to the untreated arm over five years of follow-up.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Fractionated laser resurfacing (FLR) — a device that creates tiny holes in the top layer of skin to rejuvenate it.
What this could lead to
If successful, this approach could offer a one-time treatment to lower the risk of precancerous spots and skin cancer in older adults.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 72 participants, and results may not apply to everyone. The laser treatment may cause temporary redness or scarring.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 72 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2018

Expected to finish

Dec 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with Actinic Keratosis within the past 6 months * At least 60 years of age, or older * Ability to comprehend procedures and risks versus benefits * Able to provide Informed Consent * Fair Skin (Fitzpatrick Type I or II) * Possess both Right and Left Forearms Exclusion Criteria: * Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus * Not able to comprehend procedures or risks versus benefits * Pregnant or nursing * Large tattoos on forearms * History of abnormal healing or scarring (i.e., keloids) * Any disease that gets worse while in the sun * Use of topical or oral anti-inflammatory medication or steroids * Allergy to lidocaine * Current use of photosensitizing medication

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The study's own enquiry address

    This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .

  2. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  3. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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  4. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • Dayton VA Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Dayton, Ohio, 45428, United States

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