Advances in Skin Brachytherapy: Cosmesis and Function Preservation.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiotherapy

Background:

• Non-melanoma skin cancers require effective treatment options.
• External beam radiotherapy can have limitations in dose conformity and toxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight skin brachytherapy as a beneficial treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers.
• To discuss the advantages of skin brachytherapy over traditional radiotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of skin brachytherapy principles and applications.
• Comparison of dose distribution and treatment volume with external beam radiotherapy.

Main Results:

• Skin brachytherapy provides superior dose conformity and rapid dose fall-off, minimizing radiotherapy-related toxicity.
• Smaller treatment volumes facilitate hypofractionation, reducing patient visits.
• Excellent preservation of function and cosmesis, especially for head and neck malignancies.

Conclusions:

• Skin brachytherapy is an excellent alternative for non-melanoma skin cancers, offering improved outcomes and patient convenience.
• Emerging advances like electronic brachytherapy and 3D printed moulds are enhancing treatment possibilities.