To scale back skin cancer risk, try photodynamic therapy This in-office treatment combines blue light and a topical amino acid called Levulan to get rid of actinic keratoses, rough, textured patches of pre-cancerous cells often found on sun-exposed spots like your forehead, nose, and the tops of your ears.These patches affect about 58 million Americans, and removal prevents them from developing into full-blown skin cancer, says Rebecca Kazin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery at Johns Hopkins Dermatology. And it's likely you won't have to foot the bill (usually around $500) yourself: The treatment is typically covered under insurance as a preventative measure.
