Skin Cancer Radiation Treatment
In radiation treatment of skin cancer, X-rays are used to destroy the cancerous cells. Many visits to the doctor will be required for a tumor to be completely eliminated. A fair amount of time is required. Radiation treatment is used against skin cancers that return many times or do not respond to any other form of treatment.
Radiation is not a preferred treatment for skin cancer. In some cases, however, no other treatment will be effective. There are many cases in which the patient’s condition and other factors will require radiation treatment to be used against skin cancers. There are several reasons why a patient afflicted with skin cancer may seek radiation treatment. One possibility is that the patient has inherent medical or health risks that would prevent them from other types of treatment.
Radiation treatment may also be used if the area of your skin cancer is very large, or if it is in parts of your body that are not amenable to other methods. A skin cancer may have already been treated, but may have recurred more than once.
Skin cancer isn’t a sure or easy thing. This type of treatment in particular does show some success – a 50% to 25% drop in recurrence of the disease.
There are some risks to treating skin cancer with radiation, however. You may develop new skin cancers in the area that surround the affected area. If the skin cancer reoccurs after the treatment it may be that much harder to treat because of the radiation. And you might experience damage to your healthy skin in the same area.
Radiation treatment of skin cancer carries some significant side effects. These include loss of energy and appetite, hair that falls out, and persistent skin redness. These side effects usually last no longer than the radiation treatment.
If you are considering this kind of skin cancer treatment, your doctor should have already discussed the potential costs and side effects that it may cause. You need to be sure that this treatment is worth the risks that you are assuming. Radiation treatment may not be your best option for fighting skin cancer, and your doctor should be asked if any other means of treatment will be effective.
