Superficial Skin Cancer Treatments

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are becoming increasingly common due to the ageing population, accounting for up to 75% of all skin cancers. These so-called superficial skin cancers represent a group of clinically non-invasive and slow-growing tumours, primarily consisting of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and squamos cell carcinomas (SCC), which mainly result from sun exposure.

Superficial skin cancer treatment is typically carried out through local excision or treatment by non-invasive therapies such as cryotherapy or X-ray brachytherapy. At Ariane Medical Systems, we have seen that skin cancer treatment of T1 and T2 tumours via X-ray brachytherapy is extremely effective at producing good local control with excellent cosmetic results.

Recently, electronic brachytherapy using X-rays has been used in the treatment of NMSC. Improvements have been shown over the use of radionucleotide brachytherapy due to reduced exposure of adjacent tissues to radiation, which may lead to fewer undesirable side effects. In addition, electronic X-ray brachytherapy can provide much quicker treatment times than traditional brachytherapy using radioactive sources

Links for Patients

Below you will find some useful links to websites that may help you in better understanding the treatment options that are available for non-melanoma skin cancer

Cancer Research UK

NHS England

If you believe X-ray brachytherapy treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer may benefit you, a family member or friend, we suggest you discuss the potential with the patient’s family physician, oncologist or surgeon