A skin cancer diagnosis can be physically and emotionally challenging. In addition to stressing about the disease and your diagnosis, you may also be worried about the treatment and how it will affect your skin, especially if the cancer is in an area that is exposed or easily viewable to others. Is it going to burn? Will it leave me scarred? We all want to look and feel our best and it is natural to have these concerns.

At Akumin, we understand and we are here to help. Our team of compassionate and caring radiation oncologists will discuss all your treatment options and possible side effects with you. Whether you are undergoing radiation as the main treatment or having it as an additional treatment after surgery, our team of physicians are here to take care of you every step of the way through your journey of becoming cancer free.

Skin cancer occurs when there are abnormalities in the cells that make up the skin. Skin cancers are divided into melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. The top layer of the skin contains three main types of cells called squamous, basal, and melanocytes, and mutations of these cells result in squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma cancers.

Skin cancer is by far the most common type of cancer and according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. More than two people die of skin cancer in the U.S. every hour, but when detected early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent.

At Akumin, radiation therapy is used in the treatment of skin cancer. Radiation therapy is a non-invasive treatment for skin cancer, damaging cancer cells and their ability to multiply. Radiation is very damaging to the cancer cells, but is well tolerated by the surrounding normal cells. In addition, radiation penetrates only a very short distance into the skin, so that internal organs can be completely spared from its effects.