A new study presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s (SNM) 56th Annual Meeting showed that a radioactive skin patch can treat basal cell carcinoma safely. The patch contains radioactive phosphorus-32 and it was tested in 8 people who had basal cell carcinoma on the face. Normally a skin cancer like this would be treated with surgery or radiation. Both could be potentially disfiguring depending on the extent and location of the cancer.

Instead of the usual options, these patients chose to try sealed patches that were custom-made according to the size and shape of their particular skin cancer. The patches were applied 3 hours a day for 3 days. Three months later biopsies of the skin cancer sites showed no cancer.

According to the researchers, phosphorus-32 has a limited range that keeps it from affecting the underlying bone and blood vessels so it does not cause any toxicity to the rest of the body. Blood and other tests confirmed this in these 8 patients.

I think this is a very exciting discovery for many reasons. Not only could this save people with basal cell carcinomas from disfiguring surgery, it also potentially opens the door to treating other skin cancers with minimal fuss.