Superficial Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Extensive Actinic Keratoses of the Scalp Treated with Radiation Therapy

    May 2006 in “ Dermatologic Surgery
    Michelle A. Pipitone, Hugh Morris Gloster
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    TLDR Radiation therapy successfully treated an elderly man's skin cancer and pre-cancerous scalp lesions.
    The document described the successful treatment of a 76-year-old male patient with multiple superficial squamous cell carcinomas and hyperkeratotic actinic keratoses on the scalp using radiation therapy. The patient, who had not responded to previous treatments such as cryotherapy, topical 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, photodynamic therapy, and curettage with electrodesiccation, received a total radiation dose of 6,000 cG over 42 days in 30 fractions. He experienced manageable side effects and was in clinical remission 18 months post-treatment, demonstrating radiation therapy as an effective alternative to surgery for extensive scalp lesions in elderly patients or those unwilling to undergo complex reconstructive surgery.
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