Surgical Excision of Keloids Followed by In-office Superficial Radiation Therapy: Prospective Study Examining Clinical Outcomes

BACKGROUND: Keloids are benign proliferative scars that often occur among individuals of color, and are thought to be the result of excessive collagen deposition that occurs after injury to the skin. The treatment of these scars is difficult with often poor outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical excision followed by in-office superficial radiation therapy (SRT) as a method to improve keloid remission. METHODS: Participants for this study were recruited from June 2016 through February 2017 with 48 subjects enrolled and completed this study. All keloids were surgically resected and participants received 3 consecutive days of a customized dose of SRT, with a maximum cumulative dosage of 18 Gy. Patients were followed over the course of 12 months to monitor outcomes. RESULTS: In this cohort, we found 39 (81%) to have achieved successful remission with 9 (19%) being classified as refractory. There were no adverse effects or medical complications reported as a part of this study. CONCLUSION: Study outcomes support the clinical benefits of surgical excision followed by SRT as a practical and efficient treatment for keloids.