Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the United States. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, along with other less common skin cancers are known as nonmelanoma skin cancers. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, basal cell carcinomas are the most common cancer in Caucasian, Hispanic, Chinese, and Japanese people. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer among people of African American and Asian Indian descent.
Radiation therapy is one form of treatment for cancers, including skin cancer. Radiation uses high-energy rays or particles to kill cancer cells. In treating skin cancer, radiation often uses electron beam radiation, which emit a beam of electrons that penetrates no further than the skin, limiting side effects to other organs and tissues.
Radiation therapy may be used as the main treatment for basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma and keloids, or it may be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery. The exact treatment plan varies from patient to patient, and is dependent not only on the type of cancer, but the size of the skin cancer or affected area on the skin.
Superficial Radiation Therapy or SRT is a safe, painless and effective skin cancer treatment. SRT is different from the radiation therapy used to treat other cancers. It is specifically designed to treat skin cancer and will only penetrate up to 5mm below the surface of the skin, preserving the healthy surrounding tissues while effectively treating the malignant skin cancer cells.
Dermatology & Skin Cancer Surgery Center is the first in the area to offer the SRT-100™ Treatment System, a proven non-surgical treatment option for skin cancer. With the addition of the SRT-100™, manufactured by Sensus Healthcare, we are able to provide a treatment option with cosmetically pleasing results for high-risk surgery patients, including patients with diabetes and cardiac diseases. The SRT-100™ is FDA approved and is 95 to 98 percent successful in treating and curing skin cancers.
SRT is a low-energy radiation therapy treatment that goes no deeper than the thickness of the skin, targeting the abnormal and more rapidly dividing cancer cells while allowing surrounding normal tissue ample time to repair itself. SRT offers several advantages over surgical procedures.
SRT Advantages:
- Virtually painless
- Very short procedure time
- Heightened safety
- No anesthesia requirement
- Minimal to no scarring
- Virtually no post-surgical infections
- Lesser chance of recurrence
- Faster healing process
- Virtually no need for reconstruction after procedure
SRT-100™ treatments vary depending on your particular case. The typical course of treatment requires 12 – 13 short treatments lasting as long as 50 seconds.
If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer and are looking for radiation therapy treatments in North Texas, contact the skin cancer treatment specialists at Dermatology & Skin Cancer Surgery Center. Both Dr. Matthew Barrows and Radiation Therapist Lisa Coleman have extensive experience successfully treating skin cancer patients with radiation therapy. You can be assured that our skin cancer treatment team will provide you with quality care as they treat your skin cancer and help to restore your health.
Contact us today to book your appointment to discuss your skin cancer treatment options.
