Skin Cancer Treatments

Excisional Biopsy

Excisional biopsies are usually larger and deeper in terms of skin extraction and are used to completely remove an abnormal area of skin such as a skin cancer. An excisional biopsy is the preferred method for removing lesions suspected to be melanoma. The entire tumor along with a margin of tissue that is not a visible part of the tumor is removed. Most of the time the wound does not need serious treatment however based on the circumstances its not unusual to have stitches, a skin graft, or a skin flap to treat the wound.

Curettage

Curettage is the process of scraping the skin with a spoon-shaped instrument (Called a curette) to remove skin tissue. Layers of skin are scrapped until the layer containing the cancer is removed. An injection or spray is first used to anesthetize (numb) the area before the growth is removed (curetted). No stiches are necessary and the minimal bleeding can be controlled by applying pressure or the application of a blood-clotting chemical. This procedure is best suited for cancer located in the outter most layer of the skin.

Chemotherapy

In its most general sense, it is the treatment of a disease by chemicals that targets cancerous cells. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells that divide quickly and reproduce in the body, one of the main traits of cancer. Medication can be taken by mouth, injected and applied to the skin in the form cream or lotion. These drugs often are called "anticancer" drugs. Chemotherapy is usually applied to the skin one or two times a day for several weeks. A drug called fluorouracil (5-FU) is used to treat basal cell and squamous cell cancers that are only in the top layer of the skin.

Mohs Surgery

Mohs Surgery is microscopically controlled surgery used to treat common types of skin cancer. It is one of the many methods of obtaining complete margin control during removal of a skin cancer (CCPDMA – complete circumferential peripheral and deep margin assessment.) Using frozen section histology. Mohs surgery allows for the removal of a skin cancer with very narrow surgical margin and a high cure rate. Read More...

Types of Skin Cancer

Basal Cell Carcinoma

The most common cancer in humans, BCC develops in more than 1 million people every year in the United States alone. It rarely metastasizes or kills, but it is still considered malignant because it can cause significant destruction and disfigurement by invading surrounding tissues. Light-colored skin and sun exposure are both important factors in the development of basal cell carcinomas. About 20% of these skin cancers, however, occur in areas that are not sun-exposed, such as the chest, back, arms, legs, and scalp. The face, however, remains the most common location for basal cell lesions. Weakening of the immune system, whether by disease or medication, can also promote the risk of developing basal cell carcinoma.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

About 16% of diagnosed skin cancers are SCC. This cancer begins in the squamous cells, which are found in the upper layer of the epidermis. About 200,000 cases are diagnosed ever year. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common type of skin cancer. Together with basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer, these two cancers are collectively referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer. A squamous cell carcinoma (or SCC) is a skin cancer that may appear as a bump or as a red, scaly patch. It often is found on badly sun-damaged, fair skin, and because of this often develops on the rim of the ear, the face, and the lips. It is not as dangerous as melanoma, but still leads to an estimated 2,300 deaths every year.

Melanoma

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. Accounting for about 4% of all diagnosed skin cancers, it is almost 100% curable. Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes.Melanocytes are the cells that make melanin, which gives skin its color. Melanin also protects the deeper layers of the skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. The majority of melanomas are black or brown. However, some melanomas are skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white.