Non-Invasive Skin Cancer Treatment Rhenium-SCT
Rhenium-SCT® is a painless, non-invasive treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer. It offers an aesthetically appealing alternative to traditional skin cancer treatments such as Mohs surgery, which involves removing then examining thin layers of skin one at a time to check whether the cancerous tissue has been completely removed.
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What is it for?
To provide a painless, non-invasive treatment to patients with non-melanoma skin cancer
Treatment overview
Rhenium-SCT® is a ground-breaking advancement in the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer, or NMSC, that offers a non-invasive and aesthetically favourable alternative to traditional treatments (like surgery) and can be completed in just one session.
Produced by OncoBeta, this pain-free treatment uses a low dose of radiation in the form of a radioactive paste to treat superficial skin cancers.
Once applied to the target treatment area, the specially formulated paste is left in place for a carefully calculated length of time (usually somewhere between 30 to 180 minutes, depending on the size and depth of the area needed to be treated).
The treatment gets to work by specifically targeting and destroying any cancer cells located within the treatment area. At the same time, it spares any healthy tissue in the surrounding area and helps activate the immune system to repair itself.
After the treatment is finished, you’re completely free to go home.
Through this approach, Rhenium-SCT® can not only deliver improved quality of life and faster recovery times but also reduce the likelihood of your skin cancer coming back.
Why use Rhenium-SCT®?
Rhenium-SCT® can offer several other benefits to NMSC patients. For example:
- It’s painless and non-invasive (when no break or cut is created in the skin)
- It has a short treatment time (usually somewhere between 30 to 180 minutes)
- There’s no need for anaesthesia
- It delivers complete tumour regression in 98.5% of lesions treated
- There’s no scarring or disfigurements
- It’s adaptable to different skin surfaces
At The London Clinic, we are proud to be the first private hospital to launch this advanced treatment in the UK and are now offering it to patients diagnosed with NMSC conditions like basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Through our team of world-class consultants’ experience and expertise, we can help combat your skin cancer using a state-of-the-art treatment method that’s highly precise, painless and delivers results in just one session.
From the moment you have your first consultation, our team will ensure you receive exceptional personal care throughout your treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer with us, keeping you as comfortable and well-informed as possible on what to expect during your patient journey.
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
The London Clinic, in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, operate as teams of experts with world-class resources, dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of care. Surrounded by the latest treatments and advice, you’ll have everything you need to get back to your best health. Our patient rooms are designed for your comfort, while our catering team, in collaboration with expert dietitians, provide healthy, delicious meals to support your recovery.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our teams will be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care to your specific needs and giving you the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands. To provide exceptional care, we keep our staff-to-patient ratio low, so our nurses, clinicians, therapists, and support teams can offer a personalised, quality experience. You’ll notice the difference.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through every step of your patient experience. From explaining your personal treatment plan to ensuring all details are taken care of, we make the process stress-free, so you can focus on your health. Whether it’s your first consultation or follow-up care, our teams are here to provide seamless support and the peace of mind you deserve
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us.
Self-pay to get the treatment you need faster
Paying for your own treatment, or 'self-pay', is becoming a popular route for those looking to access the benefits of private care without the option of health insurance.
Patients choosing to self-pay can avoid increasingly long waiting lists and access specific treatments, which might not be covered by their insurance policy.
FAQs
Using Rhenium-SCT® to treat NMSC can offer a wide variety of benefits. For example:
- It’s painless: Rhenium-SCT® is a painless therapy that requires no anaesthesia, making it ideal for elderly patients, those with allergies, multiple health conditions or low pain tolerance.
- It only takes one session: In nearly all cases, Rhenium-SCT® will only involve a single session to deliver results.
- It’s non-invasive: Rhenium-SCT® is a non-invasive medical procedure, meaning it doesn't involve any cuts or breaks in the skin. This eliminates the need for stitches and significantly reduces the risk of secondary infections.
- It can be personalised: Rhenium-SCT® is a precise, personalised therapy that targets only the affected area, ensuring no unnecessary damage to any other healthy tissue outside the pre-marked safety border.
- It doesn’t take long: Depending on the size and depth of the targeted lesions, Rhenium-SCT® is an easy, practical procedure with a short treatment duration.
- It’s aesthetically appealing: Rhenium-SCT® delivers exceptional aesthetic outcomes with minimal to no scarring, rapid healing and restored functionality.
Rhenium-188 is the radioisotope of a chemical element called rhenium and is commonly used to emit beta (ß) radiation during various medical treatments.
Since this form of radiation consists of particles that can only penetrate human tissue up to a depth of 2–3 mm, this makes rhenium-188 perfect for treating surface-level tissues without harming deeper parts of the body.
It also has a relatively short half-life of 17 hours, allowing treatments to be completed both quickly and efficiently.
While Rhenium-SCT® involves exposure to radiation, the amount of radiation is controlled and unable to penetrate through the deeper layers of the skin.
Some of the most common side effects associated with the procedure can include redness, swelling and bleeding, all of which can occur during the healing period.
However, in some cases, it can also cause:
- Erythema
- Local infections or fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin necrosis
- Fatigue
- Hair loss at the treatment site
- De-pigmentation of the treatment site
- Local tumours at the treatment site as a later consequence of radiotherapy
- Radiation ulcers
In most cases, you will only need to attend one session of Rhenium-SCT®.
During the initial healing phase, you might experience some redness, crusting, itching or minor bleeding as your body eliminates the dead cancer cells and replaces them with healthy tissue. However, you should start to see your full results appear anywhere between 60 and 180 days.
Once your procedure has been completed, our team will organise follow-up appointments with you to monitor the progress of your healing.
While we will make sure to prioritise arranging these around your personal circumstances, you will need to attend these appointments two weeks and three months after your procedure. You’ll also then need a third follow-up appointment once your wound has fully healed.
When your recovery is fully complete, your skin may look a bit lighter and firmer but have no scarring or deformity. Your dermatologist will also regularly monitor you throughout the healing process to ensure optimal results.