A Mini-Xray Offers Hope for Skin

By Rondi Prowell ARRT RT (R)(T) MBA Keehan Dermatology-Dermatology Center of Dallas

It’s overwhelming to hear a cancer diagnosis for the first time, and it can be equally intimidating to absorb the massive amounts of information that quickly follow the startling news. There are emotions and questions racing in circles through a patient’s mind, but there’s also a resounding desire to treat it quickly and effectively. The goal, of course, is to be as healthy as possible and ultimately cancer-free. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 9,500 people in the U.S. face this scenario every single day, as skin cancer is the most common cancer in our country.

Thankfully, there is an extraordinary modality available to face it head on without substantially intruding on one’s daily life. Electronic Brachytherapy (Ebx) was introduced in 2009, presenting a non-invasive alternative to the earlier standard of care. This miniaturized x-ray source brings enormous hope to patients with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and may be available at a Dermatologist near you. Xoft has developed this treatment, which has been known to cure NMSC at approximately 97 percent, while causing minimal, if any scarring, no restrictions to daily life, and radiation delivery in as little as five minutes. “Brachytherapy was well tolerated with acceptable toxicity and high local control rates (median: 97%)” in a review by Delishaj.

The comparison to other treatment modalities can assist patients in making an informed decision on which option is best for them. Mohs, a micrographic surgery alternative, can leave a patient with the need for further plastic surgeries and extensive scarring in some cases. This modality results in an excision with sutures that must be cared for properly for adequate healing. Anatomy such as the nose and ears can sometimes be disfigured with the Mohs procedure, due to the amount of tissue needed to completely excise the cancer. Other options, such as cryotherapy (freezing) and Electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C-scrape and burn), are only utilized for pre-cancer or “in situ” cancer lesions. In situ lesions are the earliest possible stage of a cancer cell where the abnormal cells have not spread beyond where they were first formed. As well, Traditional Superficial Radiation Therapy can require extensive time commitments with the average number of treatments being 20-30 fractions. By comparison, Electronic Brachytherapy can eliminate numerous concerns that the other modalities bring, with qualities of shorter protocols, a noninvasive approach, and minimal-to-no scarring. This modality is accessible within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as well as other states across the country.

Xoft® Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy System® is a high dose rate (HDR) unit that uses a low energy, miniaturized electronic x-ray source. Ebx can be delivered in as few as