Superficial Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy may be used for superficial lesions especially for uneven treatment sites of those site which are otherwise difficult to target with external beam electron therapy. Further, Ir-192 brachytherapy may be preferable to electron therapy for skin lesions because of improved superficial skin dose (145% is typical) a high degree of dose conformality.

Treatment Regimen

Skin Cancer is typically treated with 40Gy in 10 fractions (4Gy/fx) every other day prescribed to a depth of 1cm.

Skin keloid (tissue overgrowth) is treated with 12Gy in 3 fractions (4Gy/fx) prescribed to a depth of 0.5cm.

Skin Keloid is a scar like overgrowth of skin tissue.

Applicators

Freiburg Flap

The Freigurg flap is a skin applicator consisting of plastic catheters threaded through a series of 1cm silicone spheres. There spheres position the catheters 0.5cm above the skin surface aiding in dose uniformity. Rows of catheters are attached together forming the flap. A flap of this design allows treatment of a large area with the flexibility to conform to the skin surface.