Skip the Scalpel: Understanding Radiation as a Safe Cure for Skin Cancer

Imagine you are washing your face and notice a tiny spot on your cheek. Most of the time, you disregard your own thought, thinking it’s just another pimple, insect bite, cyst, or mole that will eventually heal by itself over time. It will always begin as an ordinary mark that does not heal itself, but eventually, over time, it means so much more. That is how skin cancer usually is, and thus, it is the most diagnosed cancer in the world. Every year, around the globe, millions of patients get diagnosed with skin cancer.

Getting to know that you have cancer is a terrifying truth at any stage of life, but with respect to skin cancer, it’s mostly reassuring. Along with being the most diagnosed type of cancer, skin cancers are mostly treatable, especially when identified at a very early stage. Skin cancers are known for their slow expansion, and most often they do not spread from the place where they are originally formed. This makes identifying them early and treating them early even more important. Apart from helping in quick remedy, starting the early treatment of skin cancer helps in making the process more gentle on the skin and the overall health of the patient.

Surgery might not be the best option all the time, especially if the skin cancer is in sensitive areas of the body, namely, the nose, eyelid, ear, or lip. The appearance of a mark or blemish on cosmetic parts of the body is mostly unsettling. This makes surgery a tricky option for patients, even if they have had one previously. These circumstances are where skin cancer treatment by means of radiation therapy becomes a cautious, focused, and non-invasive option to manage skin cancer.

Modern-day treatment of skin cancer using radiation therapy is quite the opposite of being risky. It is a much calmer, accurate, and meticulously programmed treatment process that concentrates highly powered beams of light energy on the cancer cells without causing any harm to the surrounding healthy area of the skin. There are no cuts or openings, no stitches or long periods of hospital stay. In most instances, the patients just lie down for some minutes when the device provides treatment. The patient can then just wake up and commence their day. It is that uncomplicated and quite straightforward.

Radiation helps in treating skin cancer by choosing to destroy the rare, unusual cells that start to expand rapidly in the skin. The highly powered beams of light disturb the ability of the abnormal cancer cells to mend themselves, thus decreasing the size of the tumor over a period of time. Radiation, apart from treating the tumor on the skin, helps in the maintenance of the texture of the skin and its pigmentation, decreasing the impact of cosmetic issues. Radiation also decreases the chances of recurrence, thus proving it to be one of the most successful ways of treating skin cancer.

1. When skin cells go rogue: Understanding skin cancer

Skin cancer occurs when the skin cells start growing without any control, leading to the formation of unusual lumps, sores, or patches. There are three main types of skin cancer, namely Basal cell carcinoma, is the most common type, which usually grows very slowly, and mostly appears as a shiny bump or sore that does not heal over time, Squamous cell carcinoma looks like a firm red patch and spreads if left untreated, and Melanoma, the most dangerous type that develops in cells that give skin its natural colour. Melanoma is a cancer that is known to spread rapidly in comparison to basal cell carcinoma, or squamous cell carcinoma. Any new or changing mole or dark spot should be immediately inspected.

Skin cancers are formed due to a variety of reasons, with the biggest cause being exposure to UV light from sunlight or tanning beds. UV light destroys DNA, the genetic material of skin cells. Genetics also plays a big role in the development of skin cancer; if the previous generation has skin cancer, then it’s possible that subsequent generations also develop it. Fair skin, frequent tanning, and certain immune conditions, namely lupus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, and dermatomyositis, usually increase the risk of skin cancer.

Understanding when to see a dermatologist is usually important in saving lives during cancer treatment. Symptoms include sores that a patient does not recover from, bumps that grow and start to bleed, and moles that change in shape, size, and color. Patients should not ignore even the smallest of changes and should be in constant touch with a dermatologist.

2. Accuracy to the millimeter: Demystifying Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy to treat skin cancer is like using a magnifying glass to focus sunlight on a small point. The work of radiation in treating a disease like skin cancer is simple but effective, damaging the DNA within the cells. Once destroyed, cancerous cells cannot regenerate the genetic material; in contrast, healthy cells most often do. This damage to genetic material inside the cancerous cells by radiation is what stunts their growth, and eventually it leads to cell death.

The primary types of radiation used to treat skin cancer are divided into two groups, namely External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy). External beam radiation therapy utilizes a machine outside the body to direct high-energy beams to the cancer site.

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is used to treat superficial cancers and spare the deeper ones. Its subtypes include –

• Superficial Radiation therapy (SRT) or orthovoltage X-rays makes use of light beams that are less energetic and do not penetrate the deep layers, making it a better technique to treat carcinomas of superficial layers, like basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
• Electron beam radiation therapy makes use of a beam of electrons that treats superficial tumors
• Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced type of external beam radiation therapy that makes use of computer-controlled linear accelerators to deliver accurate radiation doses by shaping and moderating the intensity of beams to match the 3D shape of the tumor. This helps in targeting uneven tumors of varied shapes and sizes.
• Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) uses highly focused, high doses of energy that are delivered from different angles.
• Internal Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy) involves placing a radioactive source that delivers radiation close to the tumor or into the tumor itself, thereby destroying only the cancerous cells.
• Superficial brachytherapy contains a device or customized mold that contains a radioactive source (iridium-192) placed directly above the tumor.
• Interstitial brachytherapy utilizes thin needles or catheters that are inserted directly into tumors to deliver the radiation from within.
• High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a common method where high doses of radiation are delivered within short sessions, twice a day for a few weeks.
• Electronic Brachytherapy is the most advanced technique that utilizes a miniaturized X-ray source to deliver targeted radiation with more accuracy and minimal shielding requirements.

The primary difference between external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and Internal radiation therapy (Brachytherapy) is how the radiation is delivered. Other differences are listed below in the table

3. Beyond the knife: Radiation as a Non-surgical Choice for Treatment of Skin Cancer

Radiation is utilized in case the tumor is sensitive to treatment or is located in a sensitive location like the nose, eyelids, or ears, and also in patients who find it difficult to undergo surgery, either due to age or due to suffering from some other condition.

Radiation for skin cancer treatment is also used in combination with surgery as an adjuvant therapy to destroy any remaining microscopic cancer cells. This is a very important factor for using radiation in treatment, as it completely removes any chance of recurrence.

The aspects that an oncologist considers before recommending radiation as a treatment type depend on the type and aggressiveness of the cancer, size of tumor, its depth and its location, and overall health and medical history of the patient.

Every patient’s plan is personalized to ensure a positive outcome with negligible side effects. The goal of radiation therapy for skin cancer is to balance cancer control with comfort and quality of life.

4. Zapping Cancer, Not The Skin – Radiation Therapy as Non-invasive Option for Skin Cancer

When patients hear the word therapy by radiation, they often are frightened by the big machines, their complicated science, and the many side effects. But, in a contrasting way, radiation is one of the most reliable, fast, and accurate ways to treat skin cancer. The step-by-step process for treatment involves

Careful planning and mapping, start with a detailed plan customized for every single patient according to their own personal needs. It begins with taking detailed images by computed tomography or photos of the affected area. Using this data, the specialists mark the exact location of the cancer and calculate exactly how deep the radiation needs to travel.

The treatment area, where the exact treatment with radiation needs to happen, is marked using permanent tattoos or temporary dots of ink.

The dermatologist then finally decides on which type of radiation, either External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or Internal radiation therapy (Brachytherapy) is to be used.

The patient is precisely positioned by making them comfortable, and in an exact position so the machine can direct perfectly at the required treatment spot every single time.

During the treatment session, the machine quietly moves into place and directs a focused beam to the area. There is no feeling, no sound, no unusual vibrations or smell, just a few minutes of lying down, and the radiation completes its work.

Each session of radiation lasts for 10-15 minutes, though the actual treatment might just take a few minutes. The patient can breathe normally and describe it as a calm and quiet break of the day.

Postoperative care and management involve gentle skincare, moisturizing, avoiding any skin irritants, and protection from sunlight by using SPF over 50. Fatigue is managed by eating a nutritious diet and maintaining proper hydration.

The patients are advised to avoid staying out in the sun, not shaving, avoiding hot and cold packs, wearing tight clothes, and using harsh cosmetic products like perfumes, deodorants, and lotions that contain alcohol or fragrances.

5. Informed Choices: Radiation Benefits in Treatment of Skin Cancers

The primary benefits of radiation for the treatment of skin cancer are that it is a non-invasive and non-surgical option, which is a major advantage for patients of old age, poor overall health, and existing disease conditions. Radiation leads to minimal scarring, which increases its chances as a preferred treatment option.

Radiation is also a highly efficacious treatment, especially for early-stage basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, with 95% accuracy in appropriately selected cases. Radiation can also be used as an adjuvant therapy in combination with surgery for the management of skin cancer and to reduce the risk of recurrence.

6. Navigating Different Skin Cancer Treatments: How do They Compare?

Even though surgery is considered a gold standard technique for non-melanoma skin cancers. Radiation as a method of skin cancer treatment still holds a greater prominence as an alternative to surgery or its use as an adjuvant therapy along with surgery for treatment of skin cancer. The main differences between radiation therapy and other forms of skin cancer treatments are in the method of action, invasiveness, schedule of treatment, and the ability of the technique to remove cancer.

7. The ABCDE’s of Concern: When to Contact a Dermatologist for Skin Cancer Treatment

To begin the process of skin cancer treatment as early as possible, the patient should approach the dermatologist if they notice any new growth on the skin, if an existing sore does not heal properly, or if there is any change in size, shape, or colour in a pre-existing mole.

Key warning signs (ABCDEs) are symptoms of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer in comparison to basal and squamous cell carcinoma. These ABCDE rules are a set of self-examination points that a dermatologist often recommends to patients at risk of skin cancer. These are, namely, asymmetry, where one half of the skin spot does not match with other, border irregularity is where the edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred, colour variation is difference in skin colour that includes shades of brown, black, grey, red, white, and blue, diameter of spot is larger than 6 mm, or evolving where the mole changes in size, shape, colour or height. This is considered to be one of the most important symptoms.

Other reasons to seek the help of a dermatologist or doctor involve noticing the signs of basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma where the patient should keep an eye on a sore or wound that does not heal, a pearly or waxy translucent lump, a flat, scaly patch that might be reddish or brown, any spot that is itching, bleeding, or is tender and painful, and if a spot looks uglier than all other spots commonly known as the ugly duckling sign.

Regular screenings are necessary if there is an increased number of underlying factors, like a person with a family history of skin cancer, who has fair skin, freckles, light coloured hair or eyes, or skin with burns. Individuals with increased exposure to the sun and an increased number of moles are usually the most likely to develop skin cancer.

8. High Control, Clear Skin: Why Radiation Remains a Clear Option for Skin Cancer

The word skin cancer often sounds intimidating, but modern treatment methods like radiation therapy have shown that healing does not always have to involve surgery or scars. With its accurate and gentle approach, radiation is a successful mode of treatment for treating cancer. This helps maintain life, comfort, and confidence.

Medicine is not just about curing diseases; it’s about caring for patients, their health, their emotions, and their overall well-being.

Healing from cancer need not always come with pain or noise; sometimes it can arrive quietly in the form of a light finding its way through dark clouds

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