Take time to learn about all of your treatment options and be sure to ask questions about things that are unclear. Talk with your doctor about the goals of each treatment and what you can expect while receiving the treatment. Shared decision making is particularly important for non-melanoma skin cancer because there are different treatment options. Learn more about making treatment decisions. Surgery is the removal of the tumor and surrounding tissue during a medical procedure.
Many skin cancers can be removed from the skin quickly and easily during a simple surgical procedure. Often, no other treatment is needed. Which surgical procedure is used depends on the type of skin cancer and the size and location of the lesion. Most of these procedures use a local anesthetic to numb the skin first. They can be done by a dermatologist, surgical oncologist, general surgeon, plastic surgeon, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant in their clinic setting, outside of a hospital.
This is often done for Merkel cell cancer. Curettage and electrodessication. During this common procedure, the skin lesion is removed with a curette, which is a sharp, spoon-shaped instrument. The area is then treated with an electric current that helps control bleeding and destroys any remaining cancer cells.
This is called electrodessication. Many people have a flat scar after healing from this procedure. Mohs micrographic surgery. This technique, also known as complete margin assessment surgery, involves removing the visible tumor in addition to small fragments around the edge of the area where the tumor was located.
Each small fragment is examined under a microscope until all of the cancer is removed. This is typically used for larger tumors, for those located in the head-and-neck region, and for cancers that have come back in the same place. Wide excision. This involves the removal of the tumor and some surrounding healthy skin and soft tissue, called a margin.
How much tissue is removed depends on the type and size of the skin cancer. When a large tumor is removed, the incision may be too large to close, so surgeons may use skin from another part of the body to close the wound.
This is called a skin graft. Reconstructive surgery. Before any surgery for skin cancer, talk with your doctor about whether changes to your appearance are possible and whether there may be functional aspects that need to be considered when developing a treatment plan. Sentinel lymph node biopsy. It helps the doctor find out whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. When cancer spreads from the place it started to the lymph nodes, it travels through the lymphatic system. A sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node into which the lymphatic system drains.
Because cancer can start anywhere on the skin, the location of the sentinel lymph nodes will be different for each patient, depending on where the cancer started. To find the sentinel lymph node, a dye and a harmless radioactive substance is injected as close as possible to where the cancer started. The substance is followed to the sentinel lymph node.
Then, the doctor removes 1 or more of these lymph nodes to check for cancer cells, leaving behind most of the other lymph nodes in that area. These are sent to a pathologist who analyzes the lymph nodes and then provides a report. If cancer cells are not found in the sentinel lymph node s , no further lymph node surgery is needed.
If the sentinel lymph node contains cancer cells, this is called a positive sentinel lymph node. This means the disease has spread, and further treatment, including additional surgery, may be recommended. Before surgery, talk with your health care team about the possible side effects from the specific surgery you will have.
In general, surgery may include side effects such as pain, scarring, numbness, skin stretching, wound problems, infection, and changes in appearance where the surgery was performed.
Learn more about the basics of cancer surgery. Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells.
A doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer is called a radiation oncologist. Radiation therapy may be used instead of surgery for skin cancer that is located in a hard-to-treat place, such as on the eyelid , the tip of the nose, or the ear. It is also used in some people who would like to avoid scarring from surgery.
Finally, radiation therapy may be recommended after surgery, especially for lymph nodes that are involved in the cancer, to help prevent the skin cancer from coming back.
For Merkel cell cancer, radiation therapy is often given after surgery for stage I and II disease. This is called adjuvant therapy. The most common type of radiation treatment is called external-beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body. A radiation therapy regimen, or schedule, usually consists of a specific number of treatments given over a set period of time. Several treatments may be needed to eliminate the cancer.
A less common type of radiation treatment for skin cancer is brachytherapy. This involves placing the radiation source very close to or inside of the skin cancer. Radiation therapy is not recommended for people with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. The side effects from radiation therapy may include a rash, skin infections, itchy or inflamed skin, or a change in the color of the skin.
However, these side effects can usually be prevented by applying a corticosteroid or antibiotic to the skin. If side effects develop, most go away a few weeks after treatment has finished. Learn more about the basics of radiation therapy.
To treat precancerous skin conditions or a cancerous lesion located only in the top layer of the skin, doctors may use photodynamic therapy, cryotherapy, or laser therapy. Photodynamic therapy. This is a combination treatment for actinic keratoses see Risk Factors and Prevention.
First, a topical medication called aminolevulinic acid Levulan is applied over areas with many actinic keratoses. Then this area is exposed to a special light-emitting device for several minutes to a few hours.
The aminolevulinic acid makes the skin very sensitive, so the procedure can be painful. Your doctor may recommend taking pain medication before the procedure. In addition, the chemical makes the skin very sensitive to the sun, so it is important to avoid sun exposure and wear protective glasses, clothing, and sunscreen for a few days after the procedure.
The skin will remain very irritated for a few days, but the actinic keratoses quickly disappear once the irritation goes away. This procedure, which is also called cryotherapy, uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy abnormal cells. It is usually used to treat precancerous skin conditions. The liquid nitrogen will sting when it is first applied to the skin, and then the skin will blister and shed off.
More than 1 freezing may be needed. Sometimes this procedure leaves a scar. Laser therapy. A narrow beam of high-intensity light can destroy precancerous skin conditions that are located only in the outer layer of the skin. Systemic therapy is the use of medication to destroy cancer cells.
This type of medication is given through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body. Systemic therapies are generally prescribed by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication. Common ways to give systemic therapies include an intravenous IV tube placed into a vein using a needle or in a pill or capsule that is swallowed orally.
If you've had non-melanoma skin cancer in the past, there's a chance the condition may return. The chance of non-melanoma skin cancer returning is increased if your previous cancer was large in size and high grade severe. If you've had a non-melanoma skin cancer, your risk of developing another one in the future is increased. This is because these cancers are often multiple. Page last reviewed: 29 January Next review due: 29 January Read our cookies policy to find out more about our cookies and how we use them.
Treatment - Skin cancer non-melanoma Contents Symptoms and diagnosis Treatment. When deciding which treatment is best for you, your doctors will consider: the type of cancer you have the stage of your cancer its size and if it has spread your general health Your doctor will recommend what they think is the best treatment option.
Success rate Treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer is usually successful. Surgical excision Surgical excision is an operation to cut out the cancer. In most cases, surgery is enough to cure non-melanoma skin cancer Mohs micrographic surgery Mohs micrographic surgery MMS is a specialist form of surgery used to treat non-melanoma skin cancers when: it's felt there's a high risk of the cancer spreading or returning the cancer is in an area where it would be important to remove as little skin as possible.
This could be the nose or close to the eyes MMS involves surgical excision of the tumour and a small area of surrounding skin. Curettage and electrocautery Curettage and electrocautery is a similar technique to surgical excision. They may need to repeat the procedure 2 or 3 times to ensure the cancer is completely removed. Cryotherapy Cryotherapy uses cold treatment to destroy the cancer.
Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the cancer, and this causes the area to scab over. Anti-cancer creams Anti-cancer creams are also used for certain types of non-melanoma skin cancers. There are two main types of anti-cancer cream: chemotherapy creams — these contain a medication called 5-fluorouracil immune stimulating creams — these contain a medication called imiquimod For non-melanoma skin cancer, chemotherapy creams containing 5-fluorouracil are used.
The cream is applied to the affected area for some weeks. Radiotherapy Radiotherapy involves using low doses of radiation to destroy the cancer. Radiotherapy is sometimes used to treat basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas if: surgery would be unsuitable the cancer covers a large area the area is difficult to operate on Radiotherapy is sometimes used after surgical excision to try to prevent the cancer coming back. Complications If you've had non-melanoma skin cancer in the past, there's a chance the condition may return.
You'll probably need regular check-ups to check your health. This means it's important to regularly examine your skin to check for new tumours. Please accept functional cookies to use live chat Read our cookies policy to find out more about our cookies and how we use them. Manage cookie preferences. Some important things to consider include:.
If time permits, it is often a good idea to seek a second opinion. A second opinion can give you more information and help you feel more confident about the treatment plan you choose. Clinical trials are carefully controlled research studies that are done to get a closer look at promising new treatments or procedures. Clinical trials are one way to get state-of-the art cancer treatment.
In some cases they may be the only way to get access to newer treatments. They are also the best way for doctors to learn better methods to treat cancer. Still, they're not right for everyone.
If you would like to learn more about clinical trials that might be right for you, start by asking your doctor if your clinic or hospital conducts clinical trials.
These methods can include vitamins, herbs, and special diets, or other methods such as acupuncture or massage, to name a few. Complementary methods refer to treatments that are used along with your regular medical care. Although some of these methods might be helpful in relieving symptoms or helping you feel better, many have not been proven to work. Some might even be harmful. Be sure to talk to your cancer care team about any method you are thinking about using. They can help you learn what is known or not known about the method, which can help you make an informed decision.
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