Treatment options

Electron Therapy

Electron beam radiation therapy is a special type of radiotherapy that just penetrates the outer layers of the skin. It is especially useful for skin disorders and skin cancer because it can be highly effective as an anti-cancer strategy, and have no effect on underlying tissues and organs. The treatment uses a very thin, non-penetrating electron beam to destroy cancer cells in the targeted area while allowing protection of healthy cells. It is particularly well-suited for treating cancer near the eyes, ears, nose or lips, but can be used for most forms of skin cancer. For most patients, the regimen involves two to six weeks of daily treatments, five days a week, depending on the size and location of the cancer.

Because the ratio of normal tissue dose to tumor dose is reduced to a minimum with the IMRT approach, higher and more effective radiation doses can safely be delivered to tumors with fewer side effects compared with conventional radiotherapy techniques. IMRT also has the potential to reduce treatment toxicity, even when doses are not increased. Due to its complexity, IMRT does require slightly longer daily treatment times and additional planning and safety checks before the patient can start the treatment when compared with other radiotherapy treatment techniques.