Radiotherapy for cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck

Radiation therapy plays an important role in the multidisciplinary treatment of head and neck skin cancers, including melanoma, cutaneous squamous cell cancer (cSCC), basal cell cancer (BCC), sebaceous cancers, and Merkel cell carcinoma. Radiotherapy can be used in the potentially curative setting, both as an adjuvant to surgery or as an alternative to surgery, and in the palliative setting. The indications for radiotherapy are dependent on multiple factors, including patient and tumor characteristics. This review will attempt to serve as a broad introduction to radiotherapy, including its indications, processes of delivery, toxicity, and outcomes.