DermaTherapy Non-Surgical Skin Cancer Treatment in Chico, CA

A skin cancer diagnosis brings questions, and one of the first is usually about what treatment will involve. Surgery is the right answer for many patients — but not for everyone, and not for every lesion. DermaTherapy gives patients at our Chico, Yuba City, and Oroville, CA, practices a non-surgical alternative for certain skin cancers: no cutting, no stitches, no scar, delivered right here in our office by the team you already know.

What Is DermaTherapy?

DermaTherapy is a course of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for non-melanoma skin cancers, delivered using the FDA-cleared Elekta XP 1200 system.

A patented, miniaturized X-ray source sits inside a small applicator that rests on your skin’s surface, directly over the lesion. Because the source is so close to the target, the dose stays concentrated where it’s needed and spares the healthy tissue around and beneath it. Nothing is implanted, no incision is made, and no anesthesia is required.

In 2020, the American Society for Radiation Oncology added X-ray therapy to its treatment guidelines as a standard-of-care option for non-melanoma skin cancer.

Who Is a Candidate for DermaTherapy?

DermaTherapy treats basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma in situ. It is generally appropriate for patients age 55 and older, with lesions up to 4 cm across and less than 5 mm deep.

It’s worth asking about if you:

• Have a lesion in a delicate or cosmetically sensitive area — the nose, the area around the eyes, the ears, lips, scalp, hands, feet, or legs, or anywhere on or near cartilage
• Take blood thinners, have diabetes, or have a history of poor wound healing
• Have other health factors that make surgery more complicated
• Have had skin cancer surgery before and would rather avoid another procedure

Two qualifying lesions can often be treated during the same course of care. DermaTherapy is not a treatment for melanoma. Whether it’s right for you depends on the type, size, depth, and location of the cancer, and that determination is made in consultation with Dr. Hodari or one of our providers.

What the Research Shows

DermaTherapy is supported by peer-reviewed clinical research:

• A matched-pair cohort study published in the Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy compared 208 lesions treated with EBRT to 208 treated with Mohs surgery. Recurrence rates were comparable between the two, with a recurrence rate under 1% and excellent cosmetic outcomes.
• A follow-up study published in February 2023 tracked 183 lesions over a median of 7.6 years and reported a 98.9% local control rate with minimal long-term side effects.
• Research presented at ASTRO on 86 skin cancers located around the eye reported a 99% local control rate, with no cases of long-term vision changes, dry eye, corneal injury, or retinitis.

What Happens During Treatment?

Your course begins with a consultation and simulation visit. Your provider examines and marks the lesion—a step that takes about 5 minutes—and your radiation therapist documents the treatment area and walks you through what to expect.

From there, treatment sessions run twice a week for four to five weeks, typically 8 to 10 sessions in total. Each visit is brief: your therapist positions you, delivers the treatment, and verifies the session—about 15 minutes from start to finish. You won’t feel the treatment itself.

Most patients go straight back to their normal routine afterward. There’s no wound to care for, no activity restrictions, and no recovery period between sessions.

Follow-Up and Cost

Dr. Hodari or your provider will check in with you during your course of treatment, and you’ll come back for a follow-up visit six to eight weeks after your final session, where your therapist takes after photos and performs an ultrasound to confirm your response to treatment.

DermaTherapy is accepted by Medicare and most commercial insurance plans. Our team will verify your benefits before treatment begins so you know what to expect.