Radiotherapy treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the USA, with an estimated 3.5 million cases per year. Treatment options include surgical excision, radiation therapy (RT), photodynamic therapy and topical agents. Although surgical excision remains the mainstay of therapy, RT offers an effective alternative. RT can be used as an adjunct to surgery in high-risk situations, or in cases where surgical excision would lead to impaired cosmesis and/or functional outcomes. Radiation treatment modalities for non-melanoma skin cancers are diverse. Studies in the literature have examined the clinical effects of a wide variety of modalities, areas of the body and dosages. The most common modalities include superficial or orthovoltage RT, electron beam therapy and high dose-rate brachytherapy. This article aims to review the diverse radiotherapy treatment modalities for non-melanoma skin cancers, focusing on tumor control and toxicity.