New skin cancer treatment in Arizona

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. It's a startling fact, but it's one that drives home the importance of protecting our skin from the sun.

Since it is so prevalent there are many ways to treat it with new technology arriving every day. One of those new treatments is called Xoft Radiation Therapy System.

Dr. Ajay Bhatnagar is a radiation oncologist at Cancer Treatment Services Arizona in Casa Grande. He uses the Xoft System and says it is a great way to treat cancers in prominent areas, because it leaves little to no scarring.  

According to Dr. Bhatnagar, Xoft administers radiation through Electronic Brachytherapy, which he says is a type of radiotherapy that uses a small high dose X-ray source to apply radiation directly to the cancerous site, minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and organs.

Dr. Bhatnagar goes on to say the treatment is administered using an applicator approximately the size of a sewing needle with a tiny X-ray, which delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the surface of the skin.

Xoft is used on patients with basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma, and those  wanting to avoid surgery because of potential scarring.  Because it's minimally invasive,

Dr. Bhatnagar says most patients can continue normal daily activities provided they protect the area from the sun and the treated area is full healed within one to three weeks from the final treatment.

For more information, please visit www.cancertreatmentservices.com/arizona/ or call (520) 836-9800