Cape Henlopen Dermatology announces nonsurgical skin cancer treatment

Ann Zolper said she has tried every treatment in the book in her decades-long fight with skin cancer. 

Raised primarily in Arizona, she summered in Rehoboth Beach as a child and experienced year-round exposure to the sun, which she said was exacerbated by putting baby oil on her skin as a youth. Her first surgery 30 years ago left her with 50 stitches in her face, a black eye and out of work for three weeks.

Now, Zolper said she has found the best treatment she’s ever had at Cape Henlopen Dermatology in Lewes, where physicians announced at an Oct. 25 press conference that they are the first in Delaware to offer image-guided superficial radiation therapy, a nonsurgical option for nonmelanoma skin cancer.

“I highly recommend it to anybody if their doctor recommends it,” Zolper said. “You have no pain. You come in and sit in the chair for a few minutes three times a week. It’s not like having surgery.”

Cape Henlopen Dermatology physician Kathryn O’Reilly, MD, Ph.D., said skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S., where 9,500 people are diagnosed each day, equalling more than 3 million cases a year.

“Here in Delaware, some 8,500 individuals will receive a nonmelanoma skin cancer diagnosis this year, so it’s essential for them to have information on all available treatment options, both surgical and nonsurgical, so they can make informed decisions about their care,” O’Reilly said.

Cape Henlopen Dermatology has long offered Mohs surgery, which is a minimally invasive and highly successful procedure for people with certain types of cancer, O’Reilly said. The image-guided superficial radiation therapy has a similar cure rate of over 99% for early-stage nonmelanoma cancer, she said.

Ultrasound imaging and radiation technology allows for precise targeting of the treatment area, O’Reilly said, and patients are able to see the treatment’s progress at each visit.

“The procedure is entirely pain-free and eliminates the need for any post-surgical reconstructive surgery,” she said.

Image-guided superficial radiation therapy is covered by Medicare and most private insurances, O’Reilly said, noting it costs about a third the amount of traditional radiation therapy, and has no facility fees or reconstructive surgery costs. 

The treatment is made possible through a partnership with SkinCure Oncology, which provides the machine and skilled staff trained in its use, O’Reilly said, when asked by Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes, about the investment made in offering the new technique.

Cape Henlopen Dermatology co-owner Mitchell Stickler, MD, smiled as he recalled starting the practice in 1991.

“I remember on my first day, I saw one patient and it stressed me out. It took me four hours to take a little cyst off the neck,” he said.

Now, Stickler said, the practice treats about 150 skin cancers a month and will have cared for 60,000 patients within the next year.

Patients are choosing image-guided superficial radiation therapy for their basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas even more than he thought and are very happy with the results, Stickler said, who noted he has also been impressed with a lack of scarring.

Additionally, said Practice Administrator Kristen Beauchamp said, patients don’t have to stop taking medications such as aspirin or blood thinners before the procedure as they do with Mohs surgery.

Not having to worry about bleeding makes the treatment much less stressful, Stickler said.

Radiation Therapist Alyssa Ciuba, RRT, said the longest part of the procedure is getting patients set up in the chair. Ultrasound is used to take an image of the lesion and measure its depth, and allow for the treatment process to be monitored over time. 

The very localized radiation, which is delivered in 45 seconds, doesn’t cause any other effects, Ciuba said. Patients come three times a week for about 20 sessions, she said.

Lewes Councilman Khalil Saliba, also present at the press conference, commended the practice for bringing the treatment to the area, which has a culture based on outdoor activities, leading to increased skin cancer rates.

Cape Henlopen Dermatology is located at 750 Kings Highway, Suite 110 in Lewes. Call 302-644-6400 or go to beachderm.com.