Shorter wait for light therapy? study tests faster treatment for Sun-Damaged skin
NCT ID NCT03066843
First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two different incubation times for a light-activated cream used to treat actinic keratosis, a common precancerous skin condition caused by sun exposure. Participants receive either no wait or a one-hour wait after applying the cream before blue light therapy. The goal is to see if a shorter incubation time works just as well, making treatment more convenient.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) plus blue light therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors choose the most effective and convenient treatment schedule for actinic keratosis, reducing the risk of skin cancer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 28 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment may cause skin reactions, and the optimal incubation time remains uncertain.
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
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28 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2017
- Finished
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Aug 2023
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: 1. Subjects who have been diagnosed with actinic keratosis. 2. Subjects who by the investigator deem to be suitable for photodynamic therapy of the face or scalp. 3. Males or females ≥ 18 years old 4. Fitzpatrick skin types I-VI 5. Subjects are in good health as judged by the investigator. 6. Subjects who are willing and have the ability to understand and provide informed consent for participation in the study and are able to communicate with the investigator. Exclusion criteria: 1. Subjects who by the investigator are not suitable for photodynamic therapy. 2. Lesions suspicious or proven for skin cancer 3. History of 2 or more ALA- PDT treatments within the past 6 months. 4. Use of keratolytics within 2 days of initiation of treatment (e.g., \>5% urea, glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicyclic acid) 5. Cryotherapy within the past 2 weeks. 6. Topical retinoids within the past 4 weeks 7. Procedures, such as microdermabrasion, ablative lasers, ALA-PDT, chemical peels, 5-fluorouraci, diclofenac, imiquimod within the past 8 weeks 8. Systemic retinoids within the past 6 months 9. Pregnant or breast feeding 10. Uncooperative subjects or subjects with neurological disorders who are incapable of following directions or who are predictably unwilling to return for follow-up examinations. 11. Subjects who are unable to understand the protocol or give informed consent. 12. Subjects who in the opinion of the investigator are not suitable for the study.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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