Skin cancer is the most common carcinoma in the world, impacting millions of individuals worldwide.1 The World Health Organization reports that non­melanoma and melanoma skin cancers have been increasing over the last decade, highlighting the importance of early detection and treatment.

Select centers like the Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, specialize in treatment of all skin cancers. Lynn Cancer Institute treats more skin cancer patients than any other center in the area. With treatment options for Basal cell, Squamous cell, and Merkel cell carcinoma as well as Melanoma, skin cancer specialists ensure that patients referred to the Institute are provided with individual treatment plans. These plans are developed around the risk factors, symptoms, and most effective prevention methods for each type of skin cancer as well as its location and cancer stage.

Hear from our experts

At Lynn Cancer Institute, oncology specialists such as Michael E. Kasper, M.D., FACRO, and Hina Saeed, M.D., provide radiation oncology care for patients.

Dr. Kasper is the Medical Director of the Radiation Oncology program at the Lynn Cancer Institute. As a board-certified radiation oncologist, his approach to patient care is to partner with patients in their journey back to health. Dr. Kasper treats patients by learning about and understanding their needs and expectations. He works to educate patients about their skin disease, treatment options, side effects and alternatives to treatment with the belief that empathy is a critical feature of the therapeutic process.

Dr. Saeed is a board-certified radiation oncologist and the Deputy Director of Radiation Oncology at Lynn Cancer Institute. Specializing in cancer care using the latest radiation oncology advances, Dr. Saeed uses a multidisciplinary, comprehensive approach to personalized care and values compassionate, whole-person treatment. Dr. Saeed is a recent and welcomed addition to the Lynn Cancer Institute, joining the team in February of 2022. Dr. Saeed specializes in clinical trials to help her patients access new and innovative treatment options. She is particularly passionate about health disparities, with a special focus on women of color.

For both Dr. Kasper and Dr. Saeed, the multimodality approach to care, is what sets Lynn Cancer Institute apart from other treatment centers. Cancer cases are discussed with a multi-disciplinary tumor board which combines the expertise of many skin cancer specialists, including dermatology, surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, genetics, pathology, and plastic surgery.

Contributions to Brachytherapy

Lynn Cancer Institute has been a leader in innovative skin cancer treatments such as Brachytherapy for more than two decades. This approach delivers high-dose radiation directly, to destroy cancer cells while preserving healthy skin. Brachytherapy offers several advantages to traditional approaches including no surgery, anesthesia, or scars. It also offers smaller, more precise radiation fields and shorter radiation treatment course.

"Precision, convenience, and efficacy of HDR brachytherapy is clear, with only 6 to 10 treatments, 5 to 10 minutes every other day, patients can expect excellent cosmesis without scarring;' shares Dr. Kasper

Dr. Kasper has been involved in the completion of a recent clinical trial designed to assess the effectiveness of electronic skin surface brachytherapy (ESSB) for early stage basal or squamous cell carcinoma. The clinical trial was a two institution study in partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Using a new skin device known as the Nucletron's Esteya Electronic Skin Surface Brachytherapy System,2 the investigators sought to understand the safety, cosmetic results, and effects that ESSB on quality of life. The investigators plan to correlate skin imaging with clinical response outcomes to ESSB. Several publications are already underway using the data that has been generated from this study. For Dr. Kasper, Brachytherapy is just one of several innovative skin care treatments patients can expect at Lynn.

"Precision, convenience, and efficacy of HDR brachytherapy is clear, with only 6 to 10 treatments, 5 to 10 minutes every other day, patients can expect excellent cosmesis without scarring;' shares Kasper.

Refer a Patient

Physicians interested in referring their patients to the Lynn Cancer Institute can refer directly to Dr. Kasper or Dr. Saeed through the following link. A full list of highly trained specialists can be found here or call and make an appointment at: 561-955.5966.

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References

1. Gordon R. Skin cancer: an overview of epidemiology and risk factors. 2013. Semin Onco[ Nurs. 2013;29(3):160-169. doi:10.1016/j.soncn.2013.06.002
2. World Health Organization. Radiation: Ultraviolent (UV) radiation and skin cancer. October 17, 2017. Access September 30, 2022. https://www.who.int/news­room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-ultraviolet-(uv)-radiation-and-skin­cancer#:-:text-The%20incidence%20of%20both%20non,cancers%20occur%20globally%20each%20year
3. Kasper ME, Chaudhary AA. 2015. Novel treatment options for nonmelanoma skin cancer: focus on electronic brachytherapy. Med Devices (Auck!). 8:493-502. Published 2015 Nov 26. doi:10.2147/MDER.S61585