INCIDENCE OF ACTINIC KERATOSIS OF JAPANESE IN KASAI CITY, HYOGO

We determined the incidence of actinic keratosis (AK) among Japanese b y screening for skin cancer in Kasai City, Hyogo, Japan, between 1993 and 1995. The incidence per 100 000 Japanese residents was 223.6 in 19 93 and 171.2 in 1994. The prevalence of AK was 291.2 per 100 000 resid ents in 1993, 203.7 in 1994, and 86.8 in 1995. The prevalence in peopl e who had more than six seborrheic keratoses on sun-exposed body sites and in people who had experienced severe sunburns with blister format ion during childhood were significantly higher. These results indicate that more than six seborrheic keratoses and several episodes of blist er formation in childhood may be risk factors for AK in the Japanese. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.