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Why is electron-beam radiation useful for some skin cancers?
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radiation therapy
External beam radiation therapy (also known as external beam teletherapy, or long-distance therapy) being delivered using a machine known as a linear accelerator.
Electron-beam radiation is a form of ionizing radiation that utilizes electrons to damage or destroy cancer cells by breaking their DNA.1
The primary reason electron-beam radiation is useful for treating certain skin cancers is its low penetration depth. Unlike high-energy sourcesāsuch as those used in linear accelerators to treat deep-seated tumors while sparing the skināelectron beams deposit their energy relatively close to the surface. This characteristic allows clinicians to effectively target superficial malignancies while minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure to deeper, healthy tissues and organs.1