US · guidance
CMS Pub. 100-03, ch. 1, § 250.4
Treatment of Actinic Keratosis
CIM 35-101
Actinic keratoses (AKs), also known as solar keratoses, are common, sun-induced skin lesions
that are confined to the epidermis and have the potential to become a skin cancer.
Various options exist for treating AKs. Clinicians should select an appropriate treatment based
on the patient’s medical history, the lesion’s characteristics, and on the patient’s preference for a
specific treatment. Commonly performed treatments for AKs include cryosurgery with liquid
nitrogen, topical drug therapy, and curettage. Less commonly performed treatments for AK
include dermabrasion, excision, chemical peels, laser therapy, and photodynamic therapy (PDT).
An alternative approach to treating AKs is to observe the lesions over time and remove them
only if they exhibit specific clinical features suggesting possible transformation to invasive
squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Effective for services performed on and after November 26, 2001, Medicare covers the
destruction of actinic keratoses without restrictions based on lesion or patient characteristics.
History
(Rev. 1, 10-03-03)
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-25
- Edition
- iom-2026-08-25
- Content hash
3efe985935eab3b16a60db22d9599cd181acd0cb7d1073a01dcbbc7ac76498da
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