Skin Cancer Awareness Month is observed annually in May. It is a time to raise awareness about skin cancer, its prevention, early detection, and treatment options.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the only international organization devoted solely to education, prevention, early detection, and prompt treatment of the world’s most common cancer, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
Skin cancer occurs when there are abnormalities in the cells that make up the skin. There are two main types of malignant cancers, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma is a slow-growing cancer found in the base of the epidermis that accounts for about 90% of all skin cancers. It seldom spreads, but if left untreated can invade bone and other tissues under the skin. Squamous cell carcinoma is found on the surface of the skin. It can be more aggressive, can grow deep below the skin, and spread to distant areas of the body. A third type of skin cancer, called melanoma, begins in the cells that produce pigment in the skin. This type is less common, but more serious. However, if caught early, there is a nearly 97% chance of cure.
At the Pacific Cancer Institute, external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is used in the treatment of skin cancer. EBRT is a painless and noninvasive treatment for skin cancer, damaging cancer cells and their ability to multiply. During treatment, high-energy X-rays are delivered to the cancer cells with a linear accelerator (LINAC). Radiation is very damaging to the cancer cells, but is better tolerated by the surrounding normal cells. Also, the most common type of radiation used to treat skin cancer penetrates only a very short distance into the skin, so that internal organs can be completely spared from its effects.
Patients treated with external beam radiation therapy receive a certain number of daily radiation treatments, usually over four to six weeks. Treatments are outpatient and usually take about 15 minutes. Side effects are generally tolerable, and most patients return to routine activities immediately after each treatment.
To find out more about radiation therapy or to see if you are a candidate for external beam radiation therapy, please contact the Pacific Cancer Institute today.