Dr Sam Vohra
Medical Director, OncoBeta Therapeutics Australia
Dr Carlotta Baraldi
Dermatologist, S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna
A new approach to non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) could offer a quicker and less distressing treatment for patients.
While non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is less serious than melanoma and far less likely to spread to other parts of the body, the most common treatment option involves surgical removal of the lesions.
With increased awareness and diagnosis, there are more than 150,000 new cases of NMSC a year in the UK.
Raising awareness
Dr Sam Vohra, who is medical director for OncoBeta (Australia and New Zealand), believes this number can be reduced by raising more awareness and offering patients access to treatments that best suit them and cause less anxiety.
Standard treatment for small superficial cases of NMSC can be simple surgical removal (excision), or a staged surgical approach (Mohs surgery) for more complex cases, to ensure the cancer cells are completely removed. Surgical strategies inevitably cause scarring and in some cases require reconstructive surgery.
“Quality of life is really important to this group of patients, because lesions are often in very visible places,” she continues. “Patients also worry about surgery, multiple hospital visits, how painful treatments might be and if it is somewhere visible, they are concerned about the cosmetic results.”
Quality of life is really important to this group of patients, because lesions are often in very visible places.
Dr Sam Vohra
Non-invasive approach
A non-invasive option, set to become available in the UK, could help reduce those concerns. OncoBeta’s Rhenium-188 skin cancer therapy (Rhenium-SCT) targets NMSC lesions using the radionuclide rhenium-188.
The energy of the rhenium-188 triggers the death of the cancer cells but also leads to a reaction of the body’s immune response that helps the lesion site to repair itself.
It is ideal for tumours located in parts of the body with a complicated geometry or when the skin surface is not flat, as for example on the face.
Dr Baraldi, another expert in the area, explains that this therapy offers a more targeted option for patients: “With the Rhenium-SCT, the radioactivity acts only in the area of the lesion, without damaging the healthy tissue. It is ideal for tumours located in parts of the body with a complicated geometry or when the skin surface is not flat, as for example on the face.”
Success rate
The single painless session with Rhenium-SCT has a similar success rate to surgery, which can be up to 98%, and does not involve multiple visits to hospital for radiotherapy or surgery.
With little or no scarring, avoiding the use of anaesthetic is particularly important for older patients, where this condition is most prevalent.
While available elsewhere in Europe, Rhenium-SCT is being introduced in the UK with a study at King’s College Hospital in London and is available via the trial or privately but with the aim of making it more widely available within the NHS.
