A radioactive paste that is applied to skin cancer is proving to be successful and could potentially rule out the need for surgery.

Joanna Mountney, 48, was recommended for surgery to have a pin-sized lump on her ear cut out, until she discovered the non-invasive alternative with no downtime.

"I was booked in for surgery, to have a wedge incision cut out of my right ear," she said.

"They would reduce the size of my ear by approximately one third."

Mountney opted for the less invasive treatment called Rhenium-SCT.

"It's a radioactive paste applied onto the skin cancer. It's indicated for lesions that are less than 3 millimetres thick," John Flynn Private Hospital Associate Professor Sid Baxi said.

Two-in-three Australians will experience skin cancer in their lifetime.

"I sat comfor

See Full Page