side effects

Last reviewed 01/2018

Short-term side effects:

• nausea, burning and pruritus in 20% of patients - these side effects rarely prevent completion of a treatment course

Long-term side effects:

• increased risk of squamous-cell carcinomas of the skin
• skin wrinkling, irregular pigmentation, benign keratoses, lentigines, premalignant keratoses, as well as skin cancers
• occasionally, exacerbation of psoriasis
• ocular phototoxicity eg. cataracts - UVA opaque glasses worn for 24 hours after treatment