In the United States, 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. Now, there’s a nonsurgical, no-downtime, 99%+ effective treatment available to help the millions managing a skin cancer diagnosis.
Phoenix, Ariz., grandmother Patty Focken learned from her dermatologist that the spot on her forehead was nonmelanoma skin cancer, the nation’s most common type of cancer, diagnosed in 3.3 million Americans yearly. “I was concerned,” she said, “with the possibility of surgical scarring that might accompany a Mohs procedure,” the traditional treatment that involves repeated cutting of the skin, days or weeks of healing, and, often, the need for reconstructive surgery.
Wisely, Focken had selected a dermatologist who offered both Mohs surgery and a newer, noninvasive treatment called Image-Guided SRT, or The GentleCure Experience™. That treatment uses high-definition ultrasound imaging to help clinicians direct low-level x-rays to targeted areas of the skin, killing cancer cells. For patients treated with Image-Guided SRT, the cure rate (freedom from recurrence at six years) has been shown to be greater than 99%, with researchers reporting that for early-stage nonmelanoma skin cancer, Image-Guided SRT is a clinically equivalent alternative to Mohs surgery.
Focken’s doctor, Genevieve Egnatios, M.D., FAAD, founder of Scottsdale Skin Boutique & Dermatology, said, “We prioritize each patient’s best interests by involving them in the decision-making process and thoroughly reviewing with them all available treatment options for their skin cancer, including Mohs surgery and GentleCure.”
Together, Focken and Dr. Egnatios chose the nonsurgical approach, and Focken’s treatment, the 100,000th in the United States, was a total success. “The series of treatments lasted only minutes each,” she noted, “and there was nothing to indicate to others that I was in a doctor’s care.”
World-class care, close to home
“A major advantage for patients is that The GentleCure Experience brings cancer center-level radiation therapy treatment right into their neighborhoods,” noted Kerwin Brandt, chief executive officer of SkinCure Oncology, the company that provides GentleCure as a comprehensive model for the delivery of Image-Guided SRT to quality-focused dermatologists, Mohs surgeons, and other physicians around the country. “For many patients, that means not having to travel great distances to get the care they need, and not having to sacrifice days of downtime.”
Brandt continued, “A dermatologist in Iowa told us that his office was always full of farmers getting their 15-minute GentleCure treatments because they couldn’t afford to take days away from their fields, getting hospital care or recovering from surgery.”
Cumulative sun exposure is the primary cause of skin cancer, although other factors, such as light skin, use of tanning beds, or a weakened immune system, can increase one’s cancer risk. At least 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70.
To learn more about the GentleCure Experience, visit GentleCure.com
