Treatment for skin cancer varies, depending on the size, type, location and stage of the cancer. Doctors will adopt appropriate treatment according to the conditions of the disease. Generally, doctor will suggest the following treatments to patient:
1. Surgery
Sometimes all of the skin cancer is removed during biopsy and no further treatment is needed. If the cancer is large or has spread beyond the skin surface, more tissue will need to be removed.
2. Chemotherapy
This treatment is often used when the skin cancer is too large for surgery. In general, anticancer drugs are applied directly to the skin to destroy cancer cells by stimulating the body's immune system. Chemotherapy is usually applied one or two times a day for up to six weeks. The treated skin may become red, itchy, sore, and may scab or flake. However, these side effects improve over time and it generally does not leave any scar.
3. Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses one dose or many doses of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It is generally used for older people or when surgery is not possible. It is also commonly used in areas where surgery could be difficult, such as the eyelid, nose, forehead, ears, or for cancers that have grown too deep into the skin. It may also be used for recurring cancers.
In addition to the above traditional treatment methods, depending on the patient's condition, doctors in some hospitals may recommend the following treatments:
4. Mohs surgery
This is microscopically controlled surgery that allows the cancer cells to be removed without taking an excessive amount of healthy tissue. The skin growth is removed layer by layer and examined under the microscope immediately. The removal continues until no cancer cells remain. This procedure is used to treat large skin cancers that have penetrated into the skin or have recurred. It is also used for skin cancers in areas that are difficult to treat, like near the eye.
5. Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is often used for people who are not able to have other types of surgery. It is a freezing technique. Liquid nitrogen is sprayed over the growth on the skin to freeze and kill the cancer. The wound will be sore and red for a few days and may develop a blister. The dead tissue will later fall off. Healing can take up to a few weeks. The treatment may leave a white scar.
6. Electrodessication and curettage
This is common in treating superficial basal cell cancers. A local anesthetic is given around the lump or spot, and the cancer is scooped out with a curette. Electric current is then applied to stop bleeding in the area and to destroy any remaining cancer cells. The wound will heal within a few weeks, leaving a pale scar.