Abstract
The likelihood of cure with a good cosmetic outcome is 85–90 % or higher for patients with early-stage cancers treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT). The probability of local control is higher for previously untreated cancers and is inversely related to tumor size. The likelihood of cure for patients with more advanced tumors is probably 50 % or higher depending on the extent of disease and whether the lesion is recurrent after prior surgery. The optimal RT beam and technique depend on tumor site and the extent of disease. Early lesions are often best managed with orthovoltage irradiation unless they are located on the scalp in which case electrons are preferred to reduce the exit dose to the brain. More advanced cancers may require treatment with higher energy electrons, megavoltage photons, or a combination of the two. The optimal treatment for patients with clinically positive nodes is surgery and postoperative RT. The likelihood of cure for those with positive parotid nodes is approximately 70–80%.
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Mendenhall, W.M. (2013). Radiotherapy for Cutaneous Squamous and Basal Cell Carcinomas. In: Cognetta Jr., A., Mendenhall, W. (eds) Radiation Therapy for Skin Cancer. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6986-5_12
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