ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: High energy electron beam therapy is an excellent modality for treating epithelial skin cancers with high local tumor control, good cosmesis and low complication. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine the local control rate, complication rate and cosmesis of electron beam therapy with histopathologically confirmed epithelial skin cancers. METHODS: A total of 23 consecutively treated, biopsy proven epithelial skin cancers of the head and neck treated with electron beam therapy were retrospectively analyzed to determine the rate of local control, radiotherapy reaction and cosmesis. RESULTS: Seventy percent of patients received electron beam therapy after biopsy only and 26% received electron beam therapy following surgical excision with pathologically positive margins or insufficient excision. The overall local tumor control rate was 87%. Patients with basal cell carcinoma had a 89% overall control rate; patients with squamous cell carcinoma had 80%. Excellent or good cosmesis was achieved in 96%. Side effects were mild and self-limiting. CONCLUSION: Electron beam therapy remains an excellent treatment modality for epithelial skin cancer and offers excellent cosmesis.