SUPERFICIAL RADIATION THERAPY
Superficial Radiation Therapy (SRT) is used to treat non-melanoma forms of skin cancer – basal cell and squamous cell cancers. Both types can develop after years of sun exposure and also from tanning bed use. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is not treated with SRT.
The treatment uses very focused, low-dose radiation that only goes skin-deep to stop cancer cells from spreading. Patients receive a series of short (less than a minute) treatments, usually once or twice a week over a series of weeks. SRT is performed in a doctor’s office, typically by a dermatologist trained and certified in the use of SRT. It does not involve anesthesia or an incision and the side effects tend to be mild, including some redness and irritation at the treated site.