Skin Cancer
By far the most important cause of skin cancer is sun exposure. Avoid excessive sun exposure, and especially avoid a severe, blistering sunburn. When you must be in the sun, use a sunblock with an SPF of at least 15. The products with a higher SPF can block a bit more ultraviolet, but only until they wear off or wash off. If you swim, or perspire, or towel off, renew your sunblock for protection.
There are two main kinds of skin cancers: basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. These have different appearances and your dermatologist can help make an accurate diagnosis. A biopsy is always recommended. Basal cell cancers grow more slowly and can invade deeply, but they almost never spread through the lymph nodes or bloodstream. Squamous cancers tend to grow more quickly, and they sometimes do spread.
Another serious type of skin cancer is melanoma. Melanoma is more likely to spread than other skin cancers, and requires much more aggressive treatment. You should see your doctor promptly if you have any of the classic signs of melanoma: a new or changing skin blemish that is bluish or black, that has irregular edges, that has patchy coloration, or that has inflammation, crusting or bleeding. Melanoma is always treated by surgery.
Finally, Merkel cell carcinoma is a rarer form of skin cancer, and it has a high propensity for spread as well. Merkel cell requires aggressive local treatment, and if it has spread, will require systemic therapy.
Skin cancers occur mostly on areas that have had sun exposure. The face, ears, neck, and hands are common places.
Most basal and squamous cancers are treated by surgery. When there is plentiful surrounding skin to close the surgical wound, this is usually the treatment of choice. If your cancer has aggressive features on surgical pathology, post-operative radiation is often indicated. Upfront radiation therapy should be considered, however, for skin cancers in places where plastic surgery will be needed to close the defect, or where the cosmetic outcome is important. It is particularly useful for cancers on the ears, nose, eyelids and lips.
Localized Merkel cell carcinomas are also generally treated with surgery upfront. Most Merkel cell cases will also need post-operative radiation, especially for larger lesions with close or positive margins and/or nodal involvement.
ROA is proud to offer numerous options for these patients including:
- Proton Therapy
- Electron Beam Therapy
- HDR skin brachytherapy
- 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy
- Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
- Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
We the first in the area to offer Proton Beam Radiotherapy, which is a highly advanced form of radiation treatment that precisely targets a tumor, while sparing healthy tissues and organs from the damaging side-effects of radiation. This can be especially useful for tumors located near critical structures, such as tumor in the head and neck area. We also commonly offer electron beam, a form of radiation made by a standard linear accelerator in which the penetration of the beam can be limited to a depth chosen by the radiation oncologist. Usually, a series of daily treatments for four to six weeks are required. Finally, we are able to treat superficial skin cancers using a technique called high dose rate (HDR) skin brachytherapy. HDR skin brachytherapy deposits the optimum intensity of therapeutic radiation right at the skin surface, and the intensity falls off very quickly with further skin penetration. This is precisely the distribution of radiation dose that works best for very superficial skin cancers. This treatment can usually be completed in only two to three weeks.
Effective, safe and compassionate patient care is our top priority
Your radiation oncologist will work with your oncology team to determine the most appropriate treatment option for you. Often times, you will need to be treated with a number of modalities including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and radiation.
During your consultation, your radiation oncologist will present to you all of your treatment options, explain the benefits and risk of each treatment, and answer any questions you may have.
The specific risks of radiation will depend on where you are being treated. Your radiation oncologist will go through all risks in detail with you during your consultation. For skin cancer, general side effects include redness and potential breakdown of skin, loss of hair, and fatigue.
Effective, safe and compassionate patient care is our top priority
Latest News
Dr. Lonika Majithia publishes on The Clinical Utility of DCISionRT on Radiation Therapy Decision Making in Patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Following Breast-Conserving Surgery in Annals of Surgical Oncology
Abstract Background The role of radiation therapy (RT) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains controversial. Trials have not identified a low-risk cohort, based on clinicopathologic features, who do not benefit from RT. A biosignature (DCISionRT®) that evaluates recurrence risk has been developed and validated. We evaluated the impact of DCISionRT […]
Dr. Avani Rao publishes on plan quality effects of proton therapy for central nervous system and skull base tumors in Radiotherapy and Oncology
Abstract Purpose With reports of CNS toxicity in patients treated with proton therapy at doses lower than would be expected based on photon data, it has been proposed that heavy monitor unit (MU) weighting of pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy spots may potentially increase the risk of toxicity. We evaluated the impact of maximum […]
Dr. Daniel Kim publishes on the implications of practice consolidation among radiation oncologists
Abstract Purpose Health care practices across the United States have been consolidating in response to various market forces. The degree of practice consolidation varies widely across specialties but has not been well studied within radiation oncology. This study used Medicare data to characterize the extent of practice consolidation among radiation oncologists and to investigate associated […]
Cancer Types
Radiation Oncology Associates is the leader in comprehensive and cutting-edge radiation oncology therapy services in convenient and accessible locations across Northern Virginia.
