Superficial Radiation Therapy (SRT)

SRT. THE NON-INVASIVE, NON-SURGICAL ALTERNATIVE FOR NON-MELANOMA SKIN CANCER.

What is Superficial Radiation Therapy or SRT?

Unlike traditional radiation that delivers massive amounts of energy that penetrates deep into the body and can cause severe skin reactions, SRT utilizes a small portable device that delivers very low energy just below the surface of the skin. It treats only skin cancers. Because SRT uses low energy radiotherapy, skin reactions are typically mild and very small.

SRT can also treat Keloids, which typically present in patient’s with post-piercing, surgical interventions, or injuries.

Keloids are readily controlled when treated with SRT in one to five fractions (treatments) immediately following excision over one to two weeks.

Want more information?

Contact us at (573) 876-1616.

Our home office is in Columbia, but you can also find us in Boonville, Jefferson City, Mexico, and Moberly.

What to Expect During Your Course of Therapy

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A knowledgeable staff or Dermatologist(s), Radiation Therapist, support staff and billing experts are all in place to assist you during treatment.

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Your review and signing of an informed consent to discuss treatment expectations.

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A simulation where photos, ultrasound images, and treatment parameters are entered into a computer for documentation and reproducibility (NO TREATMENT ON THIS DAY).

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An overview of your treatment schedule will be given (2x, 3x, 4x or 5x/week for a total of 20 treatments).

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You will generally be treated by the same Radiation Therapist each time you come in, but all the Radiation Therapists that would cover time for your normal Therapist are trained the same.

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Your Radiation Therapist will evaluate your skin reaction daily, and once per week you will be seen by your practitioner for evaluation.

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Your care team will recommend medication as needed for skin reactions, change in your treatment (if necessary), or place you on a break for a short period of time if the skin needs some rest from treatment.

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Your skin will heal up quickly after the treatment is completed.

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You will then come back in for a 2 week and a 3 month followup to check the progress of the treatments.

95%+ Cure Rate, No Pain, Short Treatments, No Cutting, No Downtime, No Scarring

SurgerySRT
PainfulMild Irritation
ScarringPossible Hypopigmentation
Requires Skin FlapNo Cutting
Requires AntibioticsNo Antibiotics Necessary
Stoppage of Blood ThinnersNo Stoppage of Blood Thinners
One Lesion at a TimeUp to 3 Lesions Can Be Treated at a Time
Changes in Daily ActivityNormal Day-to-Day Activities

Mikayla Kraus, Radiation Therapist Technologist

Mikayla is a Columbia native board-certified Radiation Therapist Technologist. She attended the University of Missouri where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic and Radiologic Sciences with an Emphasis in Radiography. She then attended Washburn University’s Radiation Therapy Certification Program to become a Radiation Therapist. She is passionate about offering patients a non-invasive cure to non-melanoma skin cancer that requires no cutting. After working in the Hannibal, MO area for about a year she transferred back home to be closer to family. She resides in Columbia with her Husband. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, outdoor activities, painting, and caring for her two fluffy cats Luna and Sunny.  

Office Phone Number: (573) 615-1236
Email: mkraus@skincureoncology.com

Commonly Asked Questions

  • Skin cancer varies in skin and cell type, and responds differently based on how it is treated. 
  • Protocols for treatment have been determined through many years of clinical usage in radiation therapy settings.
  • The energies of the machine used to treat skin cancers are less than what is used for a chest X-Ray.

No, you are not radioactive and your treatment is very safe.

Your hair will only fall out in the area treated, and that would be a very small area.

No, other than mild irritation at the treatment site, your body is unaffected.

No, the treatment only penetrates a few millimeters into the patient’s tissue, and has little effect on normal surrounding tissue.

Wash the area lightly with a gentle soap, do not use a washcloth, pat dry, and do not use perfumes or deodorants or any kind of medicine on the area without checking with your Radiation Therapist or Dermatologist. Always cover the area with clothing or sunscreen, as the skin is more sensitive to sunlight when being treated and after treatment is completed.

No, in the unlikely event your cancer were to come back, it would have to be treated surgically. (The SRT-100 Vision is comparable to surgery and is 95%-plus effective in curing basal and squamous cell skin cancer.)

No, the skin can only be treated once with radiation.

No, the treatment is painless.

Treatments generally take about 15 minutes total. (Simulation on the first day takes 30-45 minutes.)

With most insurances, patients are generally out of pocket some dollars based on coverage and deductibles, just like with surgery. The amounts can range from very little out-of-pocket expense to several thousand dollars based on your insurance plan. For example, patient’s with Medicare and a secondary insurance often pay nothing for treatment. Commercial plans are generally associated with a deductible, which varies greatly.

Yes, most insurances as well as Medicare cover SRT.

No, unlike treatment in a cancer center, the occassional missed appointment is easily remedied by adding the missed appointment to the end of treatment. Minor breaks in treatment do not generally affect your treatment. Gaps of 10 or more days without treatment may result in an additional treatment being added.

Your Radiation Therapist will image the area every day with ultrasound, and once per week your practitioner will do the same to evaluate the cancer’s respnse to the treatment.

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Want more information?

Contact us at (573) 876-1616.

Our home office is in Columbia, but you can also find us in Boonville, Jefferson City, Mexico, and Moberly.