Treatment of Skin Cancer is done by a dermatologist. Who will depending on the type and stage of Skin Cancer choose one of the following methods of treatment:

1. Curettage- Malignant tissue is scraped away with a sharp instrument. This method is most effective for small, superficial cancers that have not been treated previously. It is often followed by destruction of the cancerous tissue with an electric needle.
2. Surgical excision- or cutting into the skin and removing the growth. The skin is then closed with stitches.
3. Cryosurgery- where liquid nitrogen is applied directly to the skin to freeze cancerous tissue.
4. Chemotherapy- it is the application to the skin surface of chemicals capable of destroying Pre-cancerous growths. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often given as a cream or lotion placed on the skin to kill cancer cells. This is referred to as topical chemotherapy. Chemotherapy may also be taken by pill, or it may be administered by a needle in a vein or muscle.
5. MOHS micrographic surgery- this is the excision of a tumor and its surrounding skin with the aid of a microscope. This method allows the dermatologist surgeon to trace the outline of a cancerous growth, layer by layer, with exceptional accuracy.
6. Laser surgery- This type of surgery involves intense waves of light being beamed at cancerous skin to cut away or vaporize the tissue.

In reality the type of treatment will largely depend on the type of skin cancer you have. Slightly different treatment plans are followed some of which are described below:

For Basal Cell Carcinoma the following is the general treatment procedure:

1. Surgery in the doctors office to remove the cancerous growth. This can also be done in the outpatient area of a hospital.
2. Radiation treatment
3. Cryosurgery
4. Electro Surgery which involves destruction of abnormal tissue with the application of heat.

For Squamous Cell Carcinoma the following is the general treatment procedure:

1. Micrographic surgery.
2. Simple excision.
3. Electrodesiccation and curettage.
4. Cryosurgery.
5. Radiation therapy.
6. Topical chemotherapy.
7. Laser therapy.
8. Clinical trials of biological therapy with or without chemoprevention.

For Melenoma the following is the general treatment procedure:

1. Topical chemotherapy.
2. Cryosurgery.
3. Electrodesiccation and curettage.
4. Removing the top layer of skin with a special machine (dermabrasion).
5. Shaving the very top layer of skin (shave excision).
6. Laser therapy.

The above is only meant to serve as a guide to the various treatment methods. However it is a must to note that the actual treatment should be done only by a qualified doctor.

         

   

©Copyright 1998 Elizabeth Beckett, Holly Bernitt, and Vishwa Chandra.