Skin Cancer

[92562]

Please take two minutes to take this survey regarding skin cancer. There is no personal data collected. My company is trying to see what people know, common misconceptions, etc. We have been promoting a treatment option for several years now but due to certain market forces we just aren't getting traction. If you or anyone you know has had skin cancer, please feel free to share the survey. Thanks!

Survey

---Rob

 

[Ultra28]

I took it. Please keep us informed of this new product/procedure. I go in once every three months to get more stuff cut out. Have been doing this for over 15 years now. I'm actually doing another treatment of Efudex right now. I would love to hear about something new and easier to do.

 

[Outnumbered]

done:thumbup:

 

[92562]

I took it. Please keep us informed of this new product/procedure. I go in once every three months to get more stuff cut out. Have been doing this for over 15 years now. I'm actually doing another treatment of Efudex right now. I would love to hear about something new and easier to do.

What we offer is actually not a new procedure at all. It is superficial radiotherapy or SRTx. It uses very low level x-rays (less than 100kV) to treat non-melanoma skin cancers. Dermatologists started using it in the 1940's but with the advent of radiation oncology in the 80's, a turf war moved it out of the dermatologists office. Combine that with the fact that dermatologists get a lot more money to cut (a procedure called MOH's surgery) than to treat with SRTx and it is a tough sell. SRTx is very different from the radiation therapy you get at a cancer center. It can be done in a dermatologists office or in one of our mobile units. It leaves no scarring and the only "side effect" is that hair will not grow in the area we treat afterward and during the treatment the area treated will look like you have a sunburn for a few weeks. SRTx has the same cure rate and recurrence rate as surgery but without the pain, scars, and healing time. Since the 1950's if you were a celebrity or on air personality you got SRTx since a scar would be unacceptable. The procedure has always been available at large institutions like Cedars, UCLA, etc. The "rest of us" get cut. The dermatologists we currently work with use it to offer their patients a choice when the patient is on blood thinners, or has diabetes, or has a lesion in a place that would cause major reconstructive surgery to repair the damage done by MOH's surgery. The U.S. is the only country in the world where MOH's surgery is the standard of care and not SRTx. It's funny though, a dermatology group in Northern California bought the same SRTx machine that we use when 2 of the doctors in the 6 man group got non-melanoma skin cancer and didn't was surgery on themselves!:eek There are 2 manufacturers of SRTx units and we buy from both. The systems are far more sophisticated than the units from just a few years ago. One advantage of surgery is that it usually takes only one visit, as long as reconstructive surgery is not needed. For SRTx you need to come for 10 treatments, each one taking less than 5 minutes for the appointment. For some this could be a problem. If you don't want a scar, hate needles, don't want to worry about healing times then SRTx is the way to go. We are trying different models to get the word out so people start to demand it. What we found is a large number of dermatologists are just too greedy to offer a service that is better for most of their patients. We think that maybe offering it straight to the public might be the way to go the same way they do in the pharmaceutical industry.

Thanks for taking the survey.

---Rob

 

[Ultra28]

Is it something that is typically covered by insurance? If not, what does it cost? Do you have any in the Temecula/Murrieta area? I'm interested. I don't really care about surgery, but it does kind of suck to get three or four cut out at a time. The 10 treatment thing does sound like a little bit of a pain, but I'll try anything once just to see how it works. Like I said, I'm doing Efudex right now and hate how it makes me look for a couple of months.

 

[92562]

It has been covered by Medicare since 1951 and is covered by all insurance HMO or PPO. We can treat 3-4 lesions in one session. Currently we aren't in the IE. Closest sites to you are Laguna Niguel and Newport Beach. I'll definitely let you know if we get a client in Temecula/Murrieta.

 

[Advantage 1]

Took it :thumbup:

 

[Struv]

Have had skin cancer removed five times, spent every summer day as a kid at the beach. My HMO covers me being seen 3 times a year for skin cancer, works well. Have things removed every time, same with my parents and brothers/sisters.

 

[92562]

If you get one on your nose, lip, eyelid, or anywhere else you don't want a scar; let me know! Unfortunately, it goes with our hobby; most of us will get a basal cell or squamous cell cancer at some point. I was a river rat since I was 3 months old so I'm sure I'll be a patient some day!

 

[pipemn]

done

 

[Carlson-jet]

Did the survey and followed the links.

Sad to see 35% of the folks surveyed will never know what hit them until it is too late.

Very strange to see free parking is a big consideration about learning whether you might not live long due to any form of cancer. That is how I read it.

I have asked my doctor about suspicious spots/lesions and he said they were nothing but I am far more concerned. I was a kid in Arizona sun and rarely used sun block.

I will pay cash to see a specialist at this point. It will be interesting (but most likely confirming my belief) in what they say. I have a few friends that have had the ice-cream scoop treatment that is commonly practiced. They do not complain because I have a feeling no other treatment was offered, the other option is a no brainer.

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Took the survey -- thank you for the information! Do you know if this is available in Phoenix?

 

[Wicky]

Please take two minutes to take this survey regarding skin cancer. There is no personal data collected. My company is trying to see what people know, common misconceptions, etc. We have been promoting a treatment option for several years now but due to certain market forces we just aren't getting traction. If you or anyone you know has had skin cancer, please feel free to share the survey. Thanks!

Survey

---Rob

Does actenic keratosis count? I did take the survey. Interestingly enough, my wife burned some crap off my face about 5 years ago and it is starting to "change" I've been procrastinating. I have been putting Nerium on it and it has seemingly changed it back from the actenic keratosis state. Epionce has also completely removed some of the actenic keratosis as well. My wife did the clinical trial on that cream and the FDA wouldn't approve it because it didn't have an "immediate" affect as a drug to be approved must show that within 24 hours. The Epionce took three months but, it completely removed the actenic keratosis in all spots. I would love to hear more about what you have going on as I have many spots on my back that need attention.

 

[92562]

SRTx will work for AK but I rarely see dermatologists use it. Not sure why.