Site Editor
Soo Park, MD
Soo Park, MD
Posted: Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Efforts to identify the current treatment strategies being used in Italy for patients with non-melanoma skin cancer have revealed a plethora of approaches, according to a digital poster presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) 2024 Annual Congress (Abstract 600). Donato Pezzulla, MD, of the Responsible Research Hospital, Campobasso, Italy, and colleagues suggested assembling a national registry with more detailed data to elucidate the best management strategy for this patient population.
The Italian Association of Radiation Oncology (AIRO) palliative care and interventional radiology study groups created a 29-question survey that was distributed to participating radiation oncologists for completion. A total of 58 radiation oncologists—all members of AIRO—responded to a survey. They were stratified by the number of non-melanoma skin cancer lesions they have treated annually: 13% treated fewer than 10 lesions, 36% treated between 11 and 20 lesions, and 51% treated more than 20 lesions.
The study authors reported the use of an integrative approach in up to 10% of non-melanoma skin cancer cases by 86% of the radiation oncologists. In addition, 42.5% of radiation oncologists employed palliative care fewer than 10 times per year, 42.5% of radiation oncologists used palliative care between 11 and 20 times per year, and 15% of radiation oncologists used palliative care more than 20 times per year.
The main therapeutic strategies used for management of non-melanoma skin cancer were electrons (74%), volumetric modulated arc therapy (57%), three-dimensional chemoradiotherapy (43%), and brachytherapy (26%). Furthermore, variable schedules were identified for the use of external-beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy for curative and palliative care. Moreover, if patients required additional radiotherapy, the most common management strategies included electrons (61%), volumetric modulated arc therapy (49%), and brachytherapy (25%).
Disclosure: No disclosure information was provided.
JNCCN Spotlights
Resources
For your Patients
