Superficial radiotherapy for non-melanoma skin cancer of the lip: a 44-year Italian experience

AbstractBackground: Radiotherapy is a valuable therapeutic option for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in the ageing population, in non-surgical candidates, or when the tumour is extensive or localised in a cosmetically-sensitive area such as the lips.Objective: We report our 44-year experience in treating basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vermilion lip using superficial radiotherapy.Methods: Forty-seven patients with biopsy-proven BCC or SCC of the lip were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had been treated with superficial radiotherapy in our unit, as a primary treatment or with adjuvant and salvage purposes. Lymph-node involvement at presentation was negative in all patients.Results: Local disease control was achieved in 91% of cases. Cure rates of 85% were obtained at 5 and 10 years. Four patients presented local tumour recurrence and only one patient developed lymphatic involvement. Cosmetic outcome was good in the majority of cases, and all pati...