In 10,248 people with 13,357 early skin cancers, image-guided superficial radiation had a high reported control rate and heavy loss to follow-up

What the research found

Dermatology and Therapy published a retrospective cohort on 9 November 2026. Rania Agha, Ty Hanson, and colleagues reviewed stage I and II basal-cell and squamous-cell skin cancers treated with image-guided superficial radiation, using the Ladd-Yu protocol, from 2016 through 2023. The file held 10,248 people and 13,357 lesions (8,729 basal-cell and 4,628 squamous-cell). Kaplan-Meier freedom from recurrence was 99.7 percent for stage I and 99.6 percent for stage II at 2 years (8,485 lesions) and 99.7 percent for both stages at 5 years (2,427 lesions). Loss to follow-up was 3,697 people (36.1 percent) at 2 years and 2,942 (61.5 percent) at 5 years. Stage and histologic type did not separate recurrence (P > 0.05). Mild skin scores (RTOG 0 to 2) were recorded for 97.5 percent of lesions. Severe scores (RTOG 3 to 4) were recorded for 2.5 percent. Severe scores did not differ by whether radiation was given 3, 4, or 5 times a week (P > 0.05). Head or neck sites had a lower risk of a severe score (P = 0.004). Stage II lesions had a higher risk (P < 0.001). The abstract does not give age or sex. A large share of people were not seen at 5 years, so the recurrence figure is not a complete count. DOI 10.1007/s13555-026-01961-1. Not medical advice.

Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.

Read the original at Dermatology and Therapy