International Time Trends and Differences in Topical Actinic Keratosis Therapy Utilization

Background Actinic Keratoses (AK) are pre-cancerous lesions that can lead to Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). International differences in the utilization of topical medications to treat AK are not well described. Objectives To describe international differences in topical AK medication utilization, including associations of countries’ economic status with AK medication utilization. Methods We used IQVIA MIDAS® pharmaceutical sales data for 65 countries (42 high-income, 24 middle-income) from April 2011 to December 2021. We calculated each country’s quarterly utilization of medications in grams per 1,000 population. We used univariable linear regression to assess the association between country economic status and AK medication utilization. Results High-income countries used 15.37 more grams per 1,000 population of 5-fluorouracil (95% CI: 9.68, 21.05), 4.64 more grams per 1,000 population of imiquimod (95% CI: 3.45, 5.83), and 0.32 more grams per 1,000 population of ingenol mebutate (95% CI: 0.05, 0.60). Limitations Missing medication utilization data for some countries. Conclusion High-income countries use more topical AK therapies than middle-income countries.