title: The use of a short distance cobalt unit in the treatment of primary skin tumours.
abstract: Over an eight-year period 167 patients with primary skin tumours in difficult treatment sites have been treated using a short distance cobalt unit. The advantage of this unit over conventional superficial therapy is the lower absorption of radiation in underlying bone and cartilage. The local failure rate of 5% for basal cell carcinomas and 12% for squamous cell carcinomas is acceptable, and, of the remaining cures, there have been no problems with local necrosis and all have a good functional result.
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes