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Skin Cancer
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Environmental Pollution
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Skin Cancer Treatment

Skin cancer treatment consists in the removal or destruction of the affected area completely, leaving usually a small scar. The length of the scar depends also on the dimension of the affected area. Person’s age and general health are factors that may affect the final look of the scar.

Various methods may be used to treat skin cancer (BCC or SCC type), all of them having as final result the removal or complete destruction of the affected skin area. This could be achieved by:

  • Mechanical removal (e.g., cutting) that can be done by various techniques such as:
    • Curettage and desiccation method is often preferred using an instrument called curette to scoop out the malignant tumor (such as basal cell carcinoma), followed by desiccation (i.e. the application of an electric current to control bleeding and kill any remaining cancer cell). This technique is usually best for small affected areas in less-exposed body parts (such as trunk and extremities)
    • Surgical excision method consist in cutting the tumor and stitching up the skin;
    • Microscopically-controlled excision (Mohs micrographic surgery) – removal of a small piece of the tumor followed by examination under microscope – a sequence which is repeated for as many times as necessary until the microscopic examination denotes the complete removal of the malignant tumor cells (no cancerous cells are observed anymore). The advantage of this technique consists in the removal of a minimum healthy skin cells. Usually this technique is recommended for large basal cell carcinomas, which recur after previous treatment or from some parts of the body where recurrence is known to occur (e.g., forehead, ears, scalp).
  • Radiation destruction - Radiation therapy may be used for a better cosmetic result, especially in areas difficult to treat by mechanical removal. Many sessions (i.e. 25-30) may be needed with this method.
  • Destruction by freezing – also called cryosurgery uses liquid nitrogen application to the affected area, resulting in the destruction of the affected cancerous cells (malignant tumor). Repeated applications of liquid nitrogen may be needed for the complete destruction of all the malignant cells.
  • Therapy with creams – the used cream contains an active compound that either attacks the malignant tumor (or cancer cells) or stimulates the immune system. The treatment consists in several applications per week for several weeks. This treatment can be performed at home. It is usually not performed on skin cancers on the face area and it can be quite painful. The treatment also has a lower rate of success.

In general, the treatment of skin cancer of BCC or SCC type is highly successful. Although the most common types of skin cancer (such as BCC and SCC) are in general restricted to the skin area and not lethal, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist for any new skin damage or change (see skin cancer symptoms).