Non-Surgical Skin Cancer Treatment
Skin cancer is on the rise and is a health issue that is becoming all too common right here in our community and around the world.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
We’re pleased to offer our patients Superficial Radiation Therapy. This scalpel-free, non-surgical treatment option for non-melanoma skin cancer is available at our Minnesota and Wisconsin offices. Our SRT-100 Vision™ system uses SRT (Superficial RadioTherapy), an excellent alternative treatment with between 95-99% cure rates (depending on depth of tumor) and ultrasound image guidance that rivals surgery.
Image-Guided SRT Is Not the Same as Other Radiation Treatments
Radiation is used in many ways to treat many types of cancer. Radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA. Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged beyond repair stop dividing and die. They are then removed by the body.
When choosing the right treatment for your skin cancer, it is important to learn about your options: not all radiation treatments are the same. You should know that Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy (Image-Guided SRT) is different not only from radiation used to treat other types of cancer, but also from other skin cancer radiation options.
Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy (Image-Guided SRT)
- Uses low-energy X-rays, like the X-rays used at a dentist’s office, to deliver doses to skin cancer
- Goes only as deep as the skin
- Uses ultrasound images to measure the size and depth of the cancer, determine the lowest dose of X-rays needed, and track how the cancer responds to treatment
- Is given by a Radiation Therapist who works together with a dermatologist to deliver treatment right in the dermatologist’s office
- Does not cause the person to give off radiation after treatment
- Has little to no effect on healthy cells around the cancer
- Has mild to moderate side effects that go away within weeks of finishing treatment
Treatments generally take 15 minutes total (simulation on the first day takes 45 mins). We generally like to see the patient 3 times a week for treatments, totaling up to 20 treatments to the area of interest.
Are you a candidate for SRT? If you have basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma, and would like to learn more about SRT, we are happy to help you! Call us at 651-633-6883 to be scheduled for an evaluation to make sure you are a candidate for this treatment option.
For information on payment plans for this treatment, click the below button for options offered by CareCredit.
Image-Guided SRT (Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy) is a type of radiation used just for skin cancer. It kills skin cancer cells using low levels of X-ray energy. This energy is like what dentists use to X-ray teeth. It is given by a Radiation Therapist in a dermatologist’s office.
Image-Guided SRT is the first and only radiation treatment for skin cancer that uses ultrasound images. The ultrasound images let your dermatologist see the exact size of the cancer so he or she can target the area with the precise dose. These images also show the cancer shrinking and going away after each treatment.
