Radiation therapy is treatment with high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. External beam radiation focuses radiation from outside the body on the skin tumor.
The treatment is much like getting an x-ray but is more intense. Each treatment is painless and lasts only a few minutes, although the setup time – getting you into place for treatment – takes longer.
Radiation may be used as the main (primary) treatment instead of surgery if the tumor is very large, or if it is in an area that makes surgery hard to do. It might also be used for older people who, because of poor health, cannot have surgery. In some cases, radiation can be used after surgery as additional (adjuvant) therapy to kill small deposits of cancer cells that may not be seen during surgery. This lowers the risk of cancer coming back after surgery. Radiation may also be used to treat non-melanoma skin cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or other organs.
Side effects of radiation can include skin irritation, redness, dryness, and hair loss in the area being treated. With longer treatments, these side effects may get worse. After many years, new skin cancers may start in areas that had been treated with radiation. Because of this, radiation is not usually done to treat skin cancer in young people.
To learn more about radiation treatment, please see our document called Understanding Radiation Therapy: A Guide for Patients and Families.
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