Huntington Memorial Hospital has acquired the Xstrahl 100, a low energy x-ray system for treating a wide range of superficial dermatological conditions including basal and squamous cell carcinoma as well as other dermatological conditions such as keloid scars. This low energy treatment option delivers outstanding clinical accuracy with excellent cosmetic results, and, in many cases, provides a nonsurgical alternative for treating primary skin lesions in the sensitive areas of the head and neck.
The fully automated system offers computerized checks and balances ensuring dosage precision and interfaces with Huntington Hospital’s patient management systems. It meets all current safety requirements with fully encoded filters and treatment applicators.
Ruth Williamson, MD, medical director of Huntington Hospital’s breast cancer program, specializes in cancers of the skin as well as breast cancer.
“Our new superficial therapy unit is the optimal device for curative radiation treatment of skin cancers,” says Williamson. “The device delivers a high dose to the skin, yet spares the underlying tissue from radiation. Radiation therapy is an excellent option for small skin cancers when surgery requires reconstruction which, otherwise, could give an unsatisfactory cosmetic result.”
Traditionally, Mohs surgery was considered the "gold standard" for treatment of skin cancer. In this case layers of skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains. However, radiation therapy has also shown to provide excellent control rates (95 percent) in small cancers and cosmetic results are often superior.
For more information about superficial radiation therapy for skin cancers and other dermatological condition, call the Huntington Hospital Cancer Center, at (626) 397-2524