The American Brachytherapy society consensus statement for skin brachytherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), formerly nonmelanoma skin cancer, is the most prevalent cancer globally.
• While surgery is common, radiation therapy, including brachytherapy, offers alternative treatment modalities for KCs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated consensus statement on the use of brachytherapy for treating keratinocyte carcinomas.
• To guide patient selection, dosimetry, and techniques for skin brachytherapy based on current evidence and expertise.

Main Methods:

• A consensus statement was developed by physicians and physicists specializing in skin cancer and brachytherapy.
• Methods included a comprehensive literature search and extensive clinical experience.

Main Results:

• Guidelines are presented for patient selection, evaluation, and dose/fractionation schedules to optimize KC treatment outcomes.
• Radionuclide-based brachytherapy is suitable for small KCs, while electronic brachytherapy has emerging but limited long-term data.

Conclusions:

• Skin brachytherapy is a recognized standard of care for selected KC patients.
• Radionuclide brachytherapy is well-established; however, electronic brachytherapy is recommended for KC within clinical trials due to insufficient long-term data.