Good Therapeutic and Cosmetic Results of Radiation Therapy of Nose Carcinoma

One hundred and forty five patients (74 men and 71 women) with skin tumours of the nose were treated by radiotherapy. All the lesions were examined histologically before treatment: 133 were basal-cell carcinomas and 12 squamous-cell carcinomas. For neoplasms up to 2 cm in diameter, 500 rad were given twice weekly up to a total of 5000-6000 rad. For cancers over 2 cm in diameter, 300 rad were given 3 times a week, or 250 rad 4 times a week, up to a total of 4000-6000 rad. For large nasolabial fold epitheliomas, the total dose given was 7000 rad. The patients were reexamined 1, 3, 6 months and one year after the end of treatment and followed for 1-7 years. The cure rate one year from the end of radiotherapy was 97.74% for basal-cell carcinomas and 91.67% for squamous-cell carcinomas. Besides the good regression rate, the aesthetic quality of the results was excellent. In no case were there the disfiguring scars and retractions which sometimes occur after surgical methods.