CION Ameerpet
Skin Cancer Radiation
Brachytherapy for Skin Cancer — Surface Moulds and Applicators
A surface mould is a custom applicator, shaped to the contour of your nose, ear or scalp, that carries a radiation source millimetres above the tumour. It is a recognised option in NCCN and ASTRO guidance for skin cancers at curved sites where surgery would mean removing cartilage and rebuilding the shape.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gangadhar Vajrala, Radiation Oncologist, MBBS · MD (Radiation Oncology) · MPH · Last reviewed August 2026
- Built for awkward contours — the mould is made to the exact shape of the nose, ear rim, eyelid region or scalp, so the source sits at one fixed distance from the surface at every session.
- No cut, no reconstruction — nothing is removed, so the contour of the site is preserved — the reason many patients ask about it when surgery would mean a graft or a flap.
- Usually 6–12 short sessions — spread over one to three weeks, each a few minutes on the couch, with the schedule adjusted for frailty and travel distance.
- Coordinated at an NABH-accredited partner centre — CION Cancer Clinics coordinates your treatment plan, your oncology team and your care throughout.
17+
Cancer Specialists
on Panel
on Panel
96.9%
Breast Cancer
Survival Rate*
Survival Rate*
15,000+
Patients
Treated
Treated
4.8★
Google Rating
(800+ reviews)
(800+ reviews)
The direct answer
How Is Skin Brachytherapy Delivered?
A radiation therapist makes a custom mould that sits on your skin over the tumour. Thin catheters run through the mould. A shielded machine pushes a small radiation source along those catheters for a few minutes, then withdraws it completely. Nothing is injected and nothing stays behind.
The mould is the whole idea. It is built to the exact contour of your nose, ear, eyelid region or scalp, so the source sits at a fixed, calculated distance from the surface at every single session. The dose from a brachytherapy source falls away sharply within millimetres. That means the tumour receives a high dose while the cartilage, bone and tissue underneath receive far less than an external beam would deliver through the same area.
This is why the technique keeps its place for awkward, curved sites. On a flat area like the back or the shin, an external beam is straightforward to aim. On the tip of the nose, the rim of the ear or the corner of the eye, a beam has to cross air gaps and curved surfaces, and an even surface dose becomes harder to achieve. A surface mould hugs the shape instead of fighting it. Your radiotherapy is delivered at an NABH-accredited partner centre; CION Cancer Clinics coordinates your treatment plan, your oncology team and your care throughout.
Site by site
Which Skin Sites Suit a Surface Mould?
Curved, awkward sites are the strongest fit — the nose, the outer ear, the region around the eyelid, the lip, the scalp and the back of the hand. Flat, mobile areas are usually treated with an external beam or with surgery instead. On this decision, the shape of the site often matters more than the tumour type.
Strong fit
Nose and Nasal Rim
Curved cartilage with thin skin over it. A mould holds one fixed distance across the whole contour, which is difficult for a beam crossing an air gap.
Strong fit
Ear and Ear Rim
The outer ear is folded and thin. A mould conforms to the fold, while surgery at this site can require cartilage removal and a reconstruction.
Selected cases
Eyelid Region
Used in carefully selected cases with eye shielding in place. Your team assesses dose to the lens and the tear duct before recommending it.
Strong fit
Scalp and Forehead
Broad, dome-shaped areas with thin tissue over bone. A mould can cover a wide curved field with a more even surface dose.
Practical fit
Back of the Hand
Thin skin over tendons, where hand function matters. Sparing the tissue underneath is a deliberate goal of the plan at this site.
Usually not suited
Thick or Deep Tumours
A surface applicator treats to a limited depth. Thicker tumours, or those tracking along a nerve, usually need an external beam or surgery.
Did you know?
Skin is the site radiotherapy has been used on for the longest — surface applicators were among the first radiation treatments ever described, well over a century ago. What changed is the control. Modern high-dose-rate afterloading moves a single small source along a planned path by remote control, so the dose is calculated on a planning scan and verified before anything is switched on.
Time commitment
How Many Sessions of Skin Brachytherapy Will I Need?
Most surface-mould schedules run between about 6 and 12 sessions, given daily or a few times a week over one to three weeks. The exact number depends on tumour size, tumour thickness and the site. Each session itself takes only a few minutes on the couch, plus the time to position the mould.
| What your team weighs up | Points towards a shorter schedule | Points towards a longer schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Tumour size | Small, well-defined single lesion | Larger area, or several lesions inside one field |
| Tumour thickness | Thin, surface-level tumour | Thicker tumour needing dose a little deeper down |
| Site sensitivity | Skin over bone or cartilage that tolerates larger daily doses | Eyelid region or lip, where smaller daily doses protect nearby structures |
| Travel and frailty | Elderly or frail, or travelling a long distance each day | Living close by and able to attend comfortably every weekday |
| Priority on healed appearance | Appearance is a lower priority than finishing quickly | Appearance of the healed patch is the main concern |
Both patterns are standard. Longer schedules with a smaller dose per session are often chosen where the appearance of the healed skin matters most, because gentler daily doses tend to be kinder to the tissue. Shorter schedules are often chosen for elderly or frail patients, and for anyone travelling a long way each day. Neither is a compromise. Your radiation oncologist picks the schedule that fits both your tumour and your life, and confirms the number of sessions in writing before you start.
12+ Centres in Hyderabad · Pick yours
CION cancer care is closer than you think.
We're never more than 30 minutes away. Same panel of specialists at every centre. Same tumour board reviews. Same NCCN protocols. Pick the closest one and call directly — or let us pick for you.
CION Ameerpet
CION Kukatpally
CION L.B. Nagar
CION Tolichowki
CION Masab Tank
CION Banjara Hills
CION Kompally
CION Balanagar
CION Siddipet
CION Sangareddy
Not sure which centre fits best? Tell us where you are — we'll suggest the closest one with the right specialists.
Help me pick the right centre
Beyond Hyderabad
35+ centres across Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
Travelling for treatment? We may have a centre right where you are.
Telangana
Andhra Pradesh
Don't see your city? Call 18002028726 — we'll find your nearest CION partner centre.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Interventional Radiologist
Dr. Mohammed Imran
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Talk to a Radiation Oncologist About Surface Moulds
Bring your biopsy report and a photograph of the area — our team explains what is realistic for your site, in plain language.
Weighing the options
Surface Mould or Surgery — How Do I Choose?
Surgery removes the tumour in one visit and produces a specimen, so the margins can be examined. A surface mould avoids a cut and preserves the contour, but needs several visits and gives no margin specimen. Both are accepted treatments for suitable skin cancers. Site, thickness, your fitness for a procedure and your own priorities decide it.
| Factor | Surgery (excision or a staged margin technique) | Surface mould brachytherapy |
|---|---|---|
| Number of visits | Usually one procedure, plus a wound review | Typically 6–12 short sessions over one to three weeks |
| Anaesthesia | Local anaesthetic, occasionally sedation | None needed for the treatment itself |
| Margin check | Tissue is examined and the margins are reported | No specimen, so response is judged clinically and on follow-up |
| Wound | A wound to heal; sometimes a graft or a flap | No cut; the skin reacts, then heals over some weeks |
| Curved sites such as nose and ear | May need a reconstruction to restore the shape | Contour is preserved because no tissue is removed |
| Frailty or blood-thinning treatment | Needs planning around it with your physician | Usually not a barrier to treatment |
| Appearance afterwards | Depends on the site, the size and the repair | Depends on the site, the dose and how the skin heals |
| Long-term follow-up | Yes, for years, with skin checks | Yes, for years, with skin checks |
Guideline bodies including NCCN treat surgery as the usual first choice for most non-melanoma skin cancers, with radiotherapy — including brachytherapy — as a standard alternative where surgery would be disfiguring, where a patient is not fit for a procedure, or where the patient declines surgery. Radiotherapy is also used after surgery when the pathology report suggests further treatment is needed. Ask for both options to be explained side by side before you decide. If age or frailty is part of the picture, Radiation for Skin Cancer in Elderly and Frail Patients covers how schedules are adjusted.
Step by step
What Actually Happens, From First Visit to Last?
1
Assessment and biopsy review
A radiation oncologist examines the lesion, reads your biopsy report and measures the area. Imaging is added if the tumour looks thick or sits close to cartilage or bone.
2
Making the mould
An impression is taken of the area and a custom applicator is built to your contour, with catheters set at a planned distance from the skin surface.
3
Planning scan
A CT scan is taken with the mould in position. The dose is calculated on those images, then independently checked before any treatment is delivered.
4
Verification fitting
The mould is refitted and its position confirmed. Shielding is added where an eye, a lens or another nearby structure needs protecting.
5
Treatment sessions
You lie still, the mould is placed, and the source travels through the catheters for a few minutes. You go home straight afterwards and you are not radioactive.
6
Skin care and follow-up
The area reddens and may crust during the course and after it. Your team gives a written skin-care plan and reviews you at set intervals for years afterwards.
What to expect afterwards
What Will My Skin Look Like Afterwards?
Expect redness, dryness and often crusting in the treated patch during the course and for a few weeks after. As it heals, the skin usually becomes paler and thinner, and may show small visible vessels. Results vary by person and by site. No cosmetic outcome can be promised in advance.
Two things about appearance are worth knowing before you decide. The first is timing: the treated skin usually looks its worst about one to two weeks after the last session, not during the course, and then improves over the following weeks and months. The second is that changes settle rather than vanish. A lasting difference in colour or texture within the treated patch is common, and your team should show you photographs of typical healed results at your own site before you consent.
Care during the course is simple and it matters. Keep the area clean and dry as instructed. Use only the dressing or the topical your team advises. Avoid perfumed products and adhesive tape on the treated skin, and keep the area out of direct sun. Do not apply anything bought over the counter or made at home on that patch without telling your radiation oncologist first, because some products change how the skin surface takes the dose.
Where the mould covers a hand, a finger or a joint, ask specifically about stiffness. Gentle movement during and after the course, guided by a physiotherapist, is usually built into the plan so that grip and range of movement are protected while the skin heals.
Patients Treated at Curved Sites
Hear From Patients Treated With Skin Radiotherapy
Real experiences from patients treated for skin cancer at CION-coordinated partner centres.
Real Stories. Real Voices.
15,000+ patients chose CION. Hear from them directly.
These aren't paid endorsements or written reviews. These are video testimonials from real patients and families — recorded on their own phones, in their own words. Pick any one. Watch it. Then decide.
4.8★800+ Google reviews
50+video testimonials
15,000+patients treated
Read all 800+ reviews on Google
Start Your Story. Book Free Consultation.
Common questions
Skin Brachytherapy — Your Questions Answered
How is skin brachytherapy delivered?
A radiation therapist makes a custom mould that sits on the skin over the tumour, with thin catheters running through it. A shielded afterloading machine pushes a single small radiation source along those catheters for a few minutes, then withdraws it completely. Nothing is injected and nothing stays behind. Because the mould is built to the exact contour of your nose, ear or scalp, the source sits at a fixed, calculated distance from the surface at every session, so the dose delivered to the tumour is even and the tissue underneath receives far less.
Which skin sites suit a surface mould?
Curved, awkward sites are the strongest fit: the nose and nasal rim, the outer ear, the region around the eyelid, the lip, the scalp and the back of the hand. On these contours an external beam has to cross air gaps and curved surfaces, which makes the surface dose harder to keep even. Flat, mobile areas are usually treated with an external beam or surgery instead. Thick tumours, or those tracking along a nerve, are generally not suited to a mould, because a surface applicator treats only to a limited depth.
How many sessions of skin brachytherapy will I need?
Most surface-mould schedules run between about 6 and 12 sessions, given daily or a few times a week over one to three weeks. The exact number depends on the size of the tumour, how thick it is, the site being treated and how far you have to travel. Each session itself takes only a few minutes on the couch, plus the time to position the mould. Shorter schedules with a larger dose per session and longer schedules with a smaller dose per session are both standard practice.
Is a surface mould better than surgery for skin cancer?
Neither is better in general, and both are accepted treatments for suitable skin cancers. Surgery removes the tumour in one visit and produces a specimen, so the margins can be examined by a pathologist. A surface mould avoids a cut and preserves the contour of the site, but needs several visits and gives no margin specimen, so response is judged clinically and on follow-up. Guideline bodies including NCCN treat surgery as the usual first choice for most non-melanoma skin cancers, with radiotherapy as a standard alternative where surgery would be disfiguring or where a patient is not fit for or declines a procedure.
What will my skin look like after treatment?
Expect redness, dryness and often crusting in the treated patch during the course and for a few weeks after it ends. The area usually looks its worst about one to two weeks after the last session, then improves over the following weeks and months. As it settles, the skin often becomes paler, thinner and may show small visible vessels. Results vary from person to person and by site, so no cosmetic outcome can be promised in advance. Ask your radiation oncologist to show you photographs of typical healed results for your own site before you consent.
Does the mould hurt, and am I radioactive afterwards?
The treatment itself is painless. Making and fitting the mould is not a surgical procedure and needs no anaesthesia; some people find lying still with it in place for a few minutes uncomfortable rather than painful. You are not radioactive afterwards. High-dose-rate skin brachytherapy withdraws the source fully at the end of every session, so nothing radioactive leaves the room with you and normal contact with family, including children and pregnant relatives, is safe straight away.