Superficial Radiotherapy

Skin Cancer Disease, Diagnosis and Treatment

It is estimated that over 2.8 million new skin cancer cases are diagnosed annually worldwide and will continue to increase at a rate of 4% each year. Over 95% of these skin cancers are basal or squamous cell carcinomas. Other skin cancer categories include mycosis fungoides, Kaposi's sarcoma, Paget's disease and aprocrine carcinoma. The annual death rate from skin cancer in the United States is approximately 10,000. The primary treatment options providing both high cure rate and low recurrence include surgery and non-invasive superficial x-ray therapy. Annual worldwide medical expenditures for treating skin cancer exceed $2.5B.

The incidence of skin cancer has steadily increased over the past 75 years. During the 1930's, 1 in 1500 developed skin cancer. In 1960, the rate had risen to 1 in 600 and in 2000, the rate increased to 1 in 66. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 1 out of 7 are now at risk for developing some form of skin cancer during their lifetime. Increased exposure to the sun without skin protection and a decreasing natural ozone layer are cited as the chief causes of this increase.

Skin cancer, like all cancers, takes a long time to develop from a single mutated cell to a visible change seen on the skin. Older adults are more susceptible. 50% of skin cancer cases occur in adults aged over 60, with males more at risk than females by a factor of two. The US Census Bureau projects that by the year 2025 the over 60-age group will double in size from the year 2000. This is further evidenced by the rising number of nursing convalescent homes for the aged, which has steadily increased to over 17,000 in the United States.