Total Skin Electron Beam

Total Skin Electron Beam (TSEB) Therapy

Total skin therapy is used to irradiate the patient's entire skin surface in some diseases such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Electron beams are emitted from the linear accelerator with a relatively low energy (typically 4 to 6 MeV) and penetrate only the outer 2-3 cm of the patient’s body. The patient’s skin is treated with electron beam irradiation while the rest of the body is not subjected to any significant amount of radiation.

Emory's Total Skin Program

Emory has been performing total skin irradiation for over 15 years. During a total skin treatment, the patient stands on a slowly rotating platform. The radiation beam is aimed first to the upper half of the patient’s body and then to the lower half of the body. Careful positioning of the patient’s arms and legs is required so that the maximum amount of the skin surface is exposed to the low energy electron beam irradiation. Areas of high radiation sensitivity, such as the fingernails and eyes, are protected from the radiation with thin lead shields. Special sensors are used to measure the exact dose received at various locations on the patient's body. Areas that are not sufficiently irradiated by the initial electron beam, such as the soles of the feet, are boosted with additional radiation after the initial treatment using separate low energy electron beams.

A team of well-trained staff (including physicians, physicists, therapists, and nurses) is in the treatment room to position the patient and to measure treatment machine parameters before the treatment begins. The first treatment session takes about one hour for the necessary measurements and setups. Subsequent treatment sessions require approximately 30 minutes, including the positioning of the patient on the rotating platform and placing the lead shields on the patient.