Receive radiation therapy after skin cancer surgery to test treatment timing

Back to Skin Cancer, Non-Melanoma trials

Recruiting

What is this trial?

This trial is studying radiation therapy for older patients (age 70+) who have had surgery for non-melanoma skin cancer with features that increase the risk of the cancer coming back. Researchers want to compare three approaches: surgery alone, surgery followed by a moderate-length radiation course (3 weeks), or surgery followed by a very short radiation course (5 weeks with one treatment per week). The goal is to find out which approach works best while keeping older patients' quality of life in mind.

About 5–10% of non-melanoma skin cancers have features that make them more likely to return after surgery. While radiation therapy after surgery might help prevent recurrence, doctors aren't sure if it's worth the burden on older patients or which radiation schedule works best. This trial aims to answer those questions specifically for older adults, since most research hasn't focused on their needs.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are age 70 or older
you have been diagnosed with invasive skin cancer (basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma) that was surgically removed
your cancer had at least one high-risk feature, such as close surgical margins, location on the face or ear, nerve involvement, or poor differentiation under the microscope
you are in good enough health to tolerate radiation therapy (as evaluated by your doctor)
you have a life expectancy of at least 6 months

You likely don't qualify if…

you have severe dementia that would prevent you from following treatment and follow-up care
the cancer was not completely removed during surgery
you have other active cancers being treated
you have had previous radiation therapy to the same area
you cannot reliably attend appointments or follow-up visits due to personal, family, logistical, or geographical reasons

What participation looks like

If you enroll, you will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: surgery only, surgery plus moderate-dose radiation (15 treatments over 5 weeks, 3 days per week), or surgery plus very short-course radiation (5 treatments over 5 weeks, 1 day per week). You will have follow-up appointments to monitor how well the treatment worked, any side effects, how your skin heals, and your overall quality of life. The study involves about 303 patients across multiple centers and will follow you for some time after treatment to track your recovery and cancer recurrence rates.

Radiation treatment schedules after skin cancer surgery in older adults

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(1 site)