For non-melanoma skin cancer and keloid patients, Buckeye Dermatology offers Superficial Radiation Therapy (SRT).
Superficial Radiation Therapy is non-invasive radiotherapy that complements or replaces surgery for particular non-melanoma, basal cell, or squamous cell skin cancers. For patients who cannot be treated surgically, it’s an effective alternative treatment with few side effects. There is no need for anesthesia with SRT as there’s no cutting, bleeding, or stitching involved and no downtime or lifestyle restrictions following treatment.
The therapy uses a miniaturized x-ray source to deliver a precise low energy dose of radiation to superficial non-melanoma skin cancers. Going no deeper than five millimeters, the thickness of the skin, SRT minimizes radiation to adjacent healthy tissue reducing the chance of scarring. The treatment is short and gentle, so patients can quickly recover and go back to their routine.
The SRT-100™
Buckeye Dermatology Superficial Radiation Therapy is administered using a state-of-the-art system, the SRT-100™. The SRT-100™ provides a simple, painless, non-invasive in-office procedure approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA).
Unlike traditional huge radiation devices that deliver massive amounts of energy penetrating deep into the body, The SRT-100™ is a small, portable device that delivers very low energy just below the surface of the skin.
Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes; the pigment cells produce melanin, a brown pigment responsible for skin coloration. Superficial Radiation Therapy DOES NOT treat Melanoma. SRT is a treatment for NON-MELANOMA Skin Cancer.
Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC) is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for around one-third of all cancers. 98% of NMSCs consist of Basal Cell Carcinomas (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinomas (SCC).
Basal cell carcinomas (BCC) – Abnormal, uncontrolled growths or lesions appear in the skin’s basal cells lining the deepest layer of the epidermis. BCCs most commonly occur on areas of the face, head, and neck exposed to the sun. Slow-growing cancers, BCCs rarely metastasize.
DELAYED OR INEFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF BCCS CAN RESULT IN DISFIGUREMENT OF THE LESION AND RECURRENCE.
Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) – Uncontrolled growths of abnormal cells arising from the squamous cells in the epidermis producing keratin, a protein that makes up your hair, skin, and nails. SCCs typically develop on sun-exposed and damaged body areas such as the face, ears, neck, lips, back of the hands, arms, and legs. SCCs may be slow or rapidly growing with significant tenderness and pain.
SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMAS MAY BECOME DISFIGURING AND FATAL IF LEFT UNTREATED AND ALLOWED TO GROW.
Treatment Options for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Non-Melanoma skin cancer can be treated with surgery, cryotherapy, curettage and electrodesiccation, photodynamic therapy, various forms of brachytherapy, and chemotherapeutic agents.
Therefore, Superficial Radiation Therapy is a viable and highly desirable alternative to invasive, painful, and higher-risk surgical procedures.
Symptoms Of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma Symptoms – Two or more of the following features may be present:
- An open sore that bleeds, oozes, or crusts and remains open for several weeks
- A reddish, raised patch or irritated area that may crust or itch but rarely hurts
- A shiny pink, red, pearly white, or translucent bump
- A pink growth with an elevated border and crusted central indentation
- A scar-like, white, yellow, or waxy area, often with a poorly defined border
Squamous Cell Carcinoma – SSC can often crust, bleed, and appear as:
- A wart-like growth
- A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that may bleed easily
- An open sore that persists for weeks
- A raised growth with a rough surface and a central depression
Get a Check-Up today with Buckeye Dermatology
If you experience or are concerned about any changes to your skin like these Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer symptoms, please make an appointment with Buckeye Dermatology soon. For 50 years, our board-certified Scottsdale and Buckeye doctors have been diagnosing skin cancers and other issues of our patient’s skin.
We will ask you questions like; how long or often you have been experiencing the symptoms when you first noticed the skin feature, and how long you’ve had it. This is to help figure out the cause of the problem or even if there is a problem as it could be a benign growth (not cancerous.)
If there is a diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer, we can recommend the best option for you, whether it be Superficial Radiation Therapy or other treatments.
Please contact us now and schedule an appointment. Buckeye Dermatology is here to help you stay healthy and free from skin complications. Call (602) 754-6075 or drop us a line here.
