Superficial Radiation Therapy: A Viable Nonsurgical Option for Treating Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lower Extremities

Superficial Radiation Therapy: A Viable Nonsurgical Option for Treating Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lower Extremities

J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Feb 01;18(2):130-134

Authors: Roth WI, Shelling M, Fishman K

Abstract
Background: Superficial radiation therapy (SRT) is a nonsurgical method of treating basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lesions on the lower extremities of older individuals that might otherwise suffer complications or prolonged healing following surgical intervention. Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SRT for treating BCC and SCC lesions on the lower extremities of elderly patients in an outpatient clinic setting. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review was performed using data from consecutive patients with BCC and SCC on their lower extremities and were treated with SRT. Results: The review included patients with biopsy-proven BCC (n=38, 25%) and SCC (n=113, 75%). The mean patient age was 82.5 years and the follow-up period was ≥4 years (32%), 3 years (30%), 2 years (20%), and ≤2 years (17%). The overall success rate was over 97%. Four lesions (one BCC and three SCCs) recurred equally between genders (2 males and 2 females) with lesions >1.0 cm and all lesions were eventually cleared with other modalities. Conclusions: Superficial radiation therapy is an effective option for eliminating BCC and SCC on lower extremities of patients who opt for nonsurgical treatment. Using SRT for BCC and SCC in elderly patients resulted in a 97.4% cure rate. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(2):130-134.

PMID: 30794362 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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