Conditions we treat

In most cases, redness occurs in the skin nearby the treated lesion directly after treatment of the treated area. It may occur in the days following the Rhenium-SCT® treatment that the treated area of skin will develop a strong red color (erythema) and the lesion will develop a wound. In some cases, a serum will emerge from the wound, later forming a crust or scab. Additionally, it may appear the condition of the lesion has worsened. It is also, possible that the wound may burn or in some rare cases, bleed. The bleeding, however, is often present prior to the treatment and disappears in a few short days. During a period, post treatment, of ca. 30 - 120 days the redness of the skin gradually disappears. In certain cases, a second scab can occur and the wound may also itch. These are indications that the wound is healing, which will be clearly visible. For most people the process is complete within aprox. 60 - 180 days. Scabs may still, however, be present for some time thereafter. At the end of the treatment cycle, your skin will look lighter and firmer (younger) than your untreated skin.

Within the data collected in previous years on epidermal radioisotope therapy (>460 Patients) no side effects have been recorded. Nevertheless, it is feasible that side effects may occur from the application of Rhenium-188. Possible side effects: Skin redness, inflammation, bleeding, superficial vascular complications, local infections, skin necrosis and scar tissue. There is no risk of introduction to the body of Rhenium-188 if the therapy Rhenium-SCT® is performed to protocol.

Rhenium-SCT® has been successfully evaluated in clinical studies for the treatment of Extramammary Paget's Disease (EMPD), Keloids (increased scar tissue generation), and Actinic Keratosis (pre-stage of non-melanoma skin cancer). To date, there is no clearance for the use of Rhenium-SCT® towards these indications.

The Rhenium-SCT® is a completely painless local epidermal radioisotope therapy. It is applied when the patient is fully conscious, without need for anesthesia or any other drugs. Accordingly, patients can eat and drink what they desire leading up to administration of the therapy. Please do not use any cosmetic product (cream, make-up, ...) nor any skin care products on the day of the treatment. In cases where a surgical procedure is necessary before the administration of Rhenium-SCT. Due to the size and or depth of the tumor, your treating physician will inform you of all necessary preparations you will need to make. In cases where surgery takes place before the Rhenium-SCT®, it is possible that some portion of the tumor will be removed (flattening the lesion) before treatment. All aspects of special care and or aftercare will be explained by your physician.

There are only two important aspects to be aware of during the Rhenium-SCT® treatment: Never touch the Rhenium-188-Compound. Stay calm, and relax while seated or standing, to ensure that the Rhenium-188-Compound and the protective foil do not fall from your skin. In order to make the waiting time more pleasant during the treatment, you may read, watch TV, listen to music or simply relax and enjoy the quietness.

There are no special precautions related to the Rhenium-SCT® after the treatment. The treated area will change dramatically in the days following your treatment. You may get the impression that the lesion has worsened. This development is completely normal (for description of the typical changes in your skin, see "2.6 What does the healing process look like?"). The wound will heal within the next 30 - 180 days. Take care to ensure the wound is kept clean during the healing period. Special wound healing care is not expected to be necessary. Your Skin Cancer Specialist may track your healing progress regularly during the 30 - 180 day dealing period. He/She will also, document the healing process with pictures.

Almost all non-melanoma skin cancers do not manifest as a single lesion. The Rhenium-SCT® makes it possible to treat all of a patient's lesions in a single session. This is a strong advantage of the Rhenium-SCT® over other therapies. The most lesions treated in a single session to-date is 27 lesions.

Non-melanoma skin cancers vary greatly in size, from very small to very large sized lesions. The Rhenium-SCT® can treat arbitrary shapes and sizes. The largest lesion treated with Rhenium-SCT® to-date was 150

At the moment, performing the Rhenium-SCT® on minors, pregnant women, and women where pregnancy cannot be ruled out, is not allowed.

First, your Skin Cancer Specialist will mark the borders of the area to be treated with a dermatologic pen. This area includes the lesion and few millimeters of security margin. Afterwards, the complete area will be covered by a transparent protective foil. In cases where the lesion is close to sensitive organs, for example the eyes, those organs will at this stage in the therapy, be shielded from radiation by protective accessories. Protective accessories used to shield vital organs have been specially designed to be used alongside the Rhenium-SCT® therapy. As soon as all preparation steps are complete, your nuclear medicine physician/technician will apply the Rhenium-188-Compound in a thin, homogeneous layer over the protective foil, using the applicator device. The Rhenium-188-Compound will only be applied over the area marked explicitly by the derma-oncologist. The Rhenium-188-Compound is designed specifically to solidify swiftly, forming a flexible film over the foil. The Rhenium-188-Compound will remain, for a precisely calculated amount of time, on your skin. The amount of time necessary to treat the lesion, depends on its size, depth, the targeted dose volume and the applied radioactivity of the Rhenium-188 in question. The treatment time typically runs on a case by case basis, anywhere between a few minutes, up to a maximum time of 3 hours (average treatment time is 1 hour long). After the required treatment time is over, the Rhenium-188-Coumpound and the protective foil is removed from your person and disposed of.

In most cases, the Rhenium-SCT® is a standalone therapy that treats skin cancer locally with no additional therapies needed. Your doctor must decide if there is a need for other therapies parallel to a Rhenium-SCT®.

In most cases, only a single session is required for complete remission. In rare cases, two to three treatments will be necessary to achieve remission. This depends almost solely on the depth of the lesion and its anatomical localization.

The Rhenium-SCT® is intended for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers. The most common among them are basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Bowen's disease is also part of them (subtype of SCC).

A particular consistency is needed in order to apply the Rhenium-188 directly over the tumor. The Rhenium-188-Compound is accordingly a substance to which the Rhenium-188 is bound. Alternatively the Compound can be thought of as a carrier material for the Rhenium-188. This synthetic material is first fluid, but solidifies once it is applied. The dry Rhenium-188-Compound keeps its flexibilty as a film over the tumor.

The abbreviation SCT stands for "Skin Cancer Therapy". Rhenium-SCT® means treatment of Skin Cancer using Rhenium-188.