Actinic cheilitis: a treatment review.

All other factors being equal, the presence of actinic cheilitis, a pre-invasive malignant lesion of the lips, doubles the risk of squamous cell carcinoma developing in this anatomic area. Various forms of local ablation,immunomodulation and surgical extirpation have been proposed as therapeutic interventions. This paper critically evaluates the available medical literature to highlight the evidence-based strength of each recommended therapy for actinic cheilitis. Vermilionectomy remains the gold standard for efficacy; trichloroacetic acid application is easy and convenient, but the least efficacious overall.