ASTRO 2026: Study Compares Brachytherapy Modalities for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
By: Julia Fiederlein Cipriano, MS
Posted: Friday, October 23, 2026
A single-institution cohort study reported at the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 2339) demonstrated high rates of local control with acceptable toxicity following interstitial and hybrid high-dose–rate and pulsed-dose–rate brachytherapy for nonmelanoma skin cancer. According to Adam Kluska, MD, PhD, of Greater Poland Cancer Centre in Poznan, and colleagues, these findings extended to patients with recurrent and locally advanced tumors.
They added, “T stage was the main predictor of late toxicity, while no significant differences were observed between [high-dose–rate brachytherapy] and [pulsed-dose–rate brachytherapy].”
The investigators retrospectively analyzed 50 lesions in 49 patients treated between 2020 and 2023. The mean patient age was 75.8 years, and 74% of lesions were basal cell carcinomas. Overall, 58% were primary lesions, and 46% were classified as clinical stage T3 to T4. Interstitial and hybrid techniques were used in 70% and 30% of lesions, respectively, while high-dose–rate and pulsed-dose–rate brachytherapy were administered to 60% and 40%, respectively, with median total doses of 40.3 Gy and 49.5 Gy. Follow-up data were provided for a mean of 21.4 months.
Three local recurrences were reported, including two following high-dose–rate brachytherapy and one following pulsed-dose–rate brachytherapy. The Kaplan-Meier–estimated 2-year local control rate was 93.6% overall (93.3% vs 95.0%, respectively).
Grade 3 late toxicity was documented in 8% of lesions. Higher T stage was identified as a significant risk factor for grade 2 late toxicity (P = .044), whereas treatment modality, technique, setting, histology, age, and dosimetric parameters showed no significant associations.
Disclosure: Dr. Kluska reported no conflicts of interest. Disclosure information was not provided for the remaining authors.
