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Why were radiation treatments for acne and scalp ringworm abandoned?
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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.
Radiation treatments for conditions such as acne and tinea capitis (scalp ringworm) were abandoned after the medical community recognized the significant long-term consequences of ionizing radiation exposure.1
Early radiation therapy utilized X-rays in the orthovoltage range, which frequently caused intolerable skin burns. Beyond these acute injuries, researchers eventually identified that such exposure carried a serious risk of inducing secondary malignancies, including thyroid cancer and other solid tumors, often appearing years after the initial treatment. Because these benign conditions could be managed through safer alternatives, the use of radiation was discontinued to prevent these devastating, permanent health outcomes.123