Consensus Workshop on the Toxic Effects of Long-term PUVA Therapy

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Abstract
The possibility that there is an increased risk of melanoma in patients with psoriasis treated with psoralen–UV-A (PUVA) therapy has raised concern on the part of physicians and patients about the long-term safety of this treatment. In response to this concern, the National Psoriasis Foundation sponsored a workshop at which invited participants with expertise in PUVA therapy, psoriasis treatment, melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer, and epidemiological and clinical trials were asked to develop a consensus on the following 3 issues: the risk of long-term adverse effects of PUVA therapy with emphasis on nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancer; the guidelines for physicians and patients for selection and use of PUVA therapy with consideration of the risk-benefit ratio of this treatment compared with the risk-benefit ratios of alternative treatments; and the directions for further evaluation of the long-term effects of PUVA therapy.