Treatment of Non-Melanomatous Skin Cancer with Radiotherapy

Non-melanomatous skin cancer (NMSC) is the leading cause of cancer in the United States. Treatment with surgical excision is considered the gold standard, but radiotherapy is an excellent alternative to surgical excision. Radiotherapy for NMSC takes many forms including a variety of external beam treatments as well as brachytherapy. Radiotherapy is indicated in a broad range of patients and is particularly useful in elderly patients who are poor surgical candidates or prefer not to have surgery. Radiotherapy is also employed in certain cases of recurrence and perineural invasion and when margin control is a concern. In addition to discussing standard techniques and indications for radiotherapy, this article will review specific considerations for radiotherapy in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Finally, the article will examine new developments in the treatment of NMSC with radiotherapy including electronic brachytherapy and Helical TomoTherapy. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.