Hometown Living At Its Best 115
Q: What is SRT?
LYNNSEY: SRT stands for superficial
radiation therapy, which is an
alternative to surgery for patients
diagnosed with non-melanoma skin
cancers like squamous cell and basal
cell skin cancers and keloids.
The company I work for, SkinCure
Oncology, operates in 90 different
offices around the country. SkinCure
Oncology provides the SRT machine
and all the equipment. To my
knowledge, the closest place that offers
SRT besides Dermatology Associates is
in Pooler.
Q: How do you determine which
patients at Dermatology Associates will
benefit from SRT?
LYNNSEY: First, a biopsy is done.
When the report comes back, Dr.
Collins, Michelle Reeves, or Shai Hobbs
determines if it’s something that can be
treated with SRT.
Q: How does it compare to Mohs
surgery?
LYNNSEY: The cure rate is very
comparable. We have a 95% success
rate. But with the new protocols we’ve
just received, we expect the cure rate to
rise even higher.
Q: How does SRT work?
LYNNSEY: The SRT 100 delivers a high
dose radiation to a small focused area.
With Mohs surgery, you keep cutting
deeper until there's no cancer. If the
lesions are facial, the patient will often
have disfigurement and may need skin
grafts, for example. SRT eliminates
all of that. There are no anesthesia,
cutting, bleeding, stitches, scarring, or
post-treatment reconstructive surgeries
necessary.
Q: How is the radiation targeted to only
the area needed?
LYNNSEY: We use lead shielding and
applicators that go with the machine to
target exactly what we're treating so we
don’t have to be concerned with dosage
to other parts of the body.
Q: Is the treatment with SRT painful?
LYNNSEY: No, you don't feel it at all. It's
like getting an x-ray. The whole process
is completely painless.
Q: Are there side effects with SRT?
LYNNSEY: There is some skin irritation
and redness. We ask that patients use
Aquaphor cream to promote healing.
It can be purchased over the counter.
Other than keeping the area out of the
sun, there is no downtime or lifestyle
restrictions.
Q: How is progress monitored?
LYNNSEY: The machine has an
ultrasound probe attached to it that
we use to do an ultrasound before
treatment begins as a baseline. We
continue to do ultrasounds at each
treatment to monitor progress. After
treatment is finished, we do a two-week
follow-up ultrasound to monitor the
healing process.
Q: How long does the treatment itself
take?
LYNNSEY: At the initial appointment,
Dr. Collins, Michelle or Shai will draw
a margin around the area. After that,
I figure out what shield and applicator
to use. After that is done, I do the
calculation and figure out the dosage.
After the initial set-up, they can
start treatment as early as the next day.
The appointments take approximately
15 minutes per session. The treatment
itself usually lasts less than a minute.
The rest of the time is spent doing an
ultrasound, putting the lead apron, eye
protection, and thyroid shield in place,
and then removing each one at the end
of treatment.
Q: How is the dose of radiation
determined?
LYNNSEY: It is determined by the type
of cancer, size of the area, and depth.
Q: How many treatments does it take?
LYNNSEY: It takes a total of 20
treatments. They come three or
four times a week, whichever fits
their schedule best. After every five
treatments, the patient meets with
the doctor for a follow-up. We do an
ultrasound that day for the doctor to
look at. It’s an assessment day. We make
sure everything's going like it should.
Q: What has been the outcome?
LYNNSEY: Dermatology Associates has
had no recurrence in the area that was
treated for any patient who has received
treatment with SRT since we began
using it in 2017. TCM
Dermatology Associates has offices in
Vidalia and Savannah. Visit their website at
www.dermatologyassociatesga.com or their
Vidalia office at 1013 E. 1st St., Vidalia, GA
Phone: (912) 538-7702
T H E B E N E F I T S O F S R T :
95%
Cure Rate
No
Anesthesia, Cutting
or Stitching
No
Pain
No
Scarring
No
Downtime
No
Post Constructive
Surgery
95%
/www.dermatologyassociatesga.com