title: Electronic brachytherapy for superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma: a report of two prospective pilot trials using different doses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a very common cancer in the Caucasian population. Treatment aims to eradicate the tumor with the lowest possible functional and aesthetic impact. Electronic brachytherapy (EBT) is a treatment technique currently emerging. This study aims to show the outcomes of two consecutive prospective pilot clinical trials using different radiation doses of EBT with Esteya(®) EB system for the treatment of superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two prospective, single-center, non-randomized, pilot studies were conducted. Twenty patients were treated in each study with different doses. The first group (1) was treated with 36.6 Gy in 6 fractions of 6.1 Gy, and the second group (2) with 42 Gy in 6 fractions of 7 Gy. Cure rate, acute toxicity, and late toxicity related to cosmesis were analyzed in the two treatment groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group 1, a complete response in 90% of cases was observed at the first year of follow-up, whereas in group 2, the complete response was 95%. The differences with reference to acute toxicity and the cosmetic results between the two treatment groups were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our initial experience with Esteya(®) EB system to treat superficial and nodular BCC shows that a dose of 36.6 Gy and 42 Gy delivered in 6 fraction of 7 Gy achieves a 90% and 95% clinical cure rate at 1 year, respectively. Both groups had a tolerable toxicity and a very good cosmesis. The role of EBT in the treatment of BCC is still to be defined. It will probably become an established option for selected patients in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ballester-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pons-Llanas
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Physics Section, Radiation Oncology Department, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Candela-Juan
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department.
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Celada-Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tormo-Micó
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Physics Section, Radiation Oncology Department, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain; Radiation Oncology Department, Clinica Benidorm, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Calatayud
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Botella-Estrada
keywords: basal cell carcinoma; electronic brachytherapy; radiation therapy; skin cancer