Various skin cancer treatment options

Proper cancer treatment is very influential on the patient's cure rate. In overcoming skin cancer, there are several types of treatment that can be undertaken. To reduce fear, try to first understand the ins and outs of skin cancer treatment below.

Skin cancer treatment options

Here are some types of treatment that can be taken to treat skin cancer. Usually, the doctor will determine how to treat skin cancer that best suits the type of cancer being experienced. Among others are:

1. Curettage and electrodesication

Curettage is a type of skin cancer treatment that is usually performed on patients with basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Curettage is a procedure to remove tumors on the skin using a curette, which is a metal stick-shaped medical instrument with a circular tip. In order to prevent pain, the doctor will first administer a local anesthetic.

The doctor will then remove the tumor tissue using a curette. After that, the procedure is followed by electrodesication, which is the insertion of an electrode needle on the skin around the curetted area. The heat from the electrode needles will remove any remaining cancer cells and stop the blood from flowing.

Curettage and electrodesication are quite effective in treating cancer that is not too deep. However, you may have to repeat this procedure several times until all the cancer cells are gone. Unfortunately, this procedure often leaves scars.

2. Mohs skin cancer surgery

Mohs surgery is considered the most effective procedure for treating basal and squamous skin cancer. This method consists of several steps which are all carried out in one visit. Here are the steps:

• The doctor examines the area of ​​the skin for cancer, then applies a local anesthetic to the area.
• The top layer of cancer cells is removed using a scalpel. The scar is then covered with a bandage.
• The patient awaits the results of laboratory analysis for the next procedure.
• Doctors freeze, stain, divide, and examine the cancerous tissue under a microscope.
• If the test results show residual cancer cells, you will undergo a second scraping.
• The scraping operation was repeated until no cancer cells remained on the skin.
• The wound is closed with stitches. If the wound is large enough, you may need skin reconstruction surgery.
• The wound healing process begins.

3. Surgical excision

The following treatment options are also commonly used in patients with basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. The doctor will use a scalpel to scrape off the tumor and a bit of the surrounding skin tissue. The thickness of the skin that is scraped off depends on the location and thickness of the tumor.

The goal is to take it to the laboratory and be examined. If there are cancer cells in the skin that are removed, further surgery will be carried out until the cancer cells in the skin have completely disappeared.

4. Cryosurgery

Similar to various previous treatment options, this surgery is also intended for basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma types of skin cancer.

Also called cryotherapy, this procedure aims to remove cancer cells using extreme cold temperatures. The trick is to spray liquid nitrogen on the skin affected by cancer.

The skin that is sprayed then freezes, while the cancer cells inside are crushed and broken down. Your skin will get blistered, but this is normal. Keep the wound clean and wait two weeks for the wound to dry.

5. Laser surgery

Source: Air Force Medical Service

Laser surgery is a treatment that aims to remove skin cancer using heat energy. Compared to other treatment options, this procedure will reduce the risk of bleeding, pain, and scar formation.

The patient will be given local anesthesia and sedatives before undergoing laser surgery. The doctor then targets the cancer tissue using a laser. The heat from the laser destroys the abnormal cells so that the cancerous tissue breaks down.

The doctor will then clean the loose tissue with wet gauze. If the skin is bleeding, a laser can be used to close the wound and stop the blood from flowing.

6. Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a treatment that can treat all three types of skin cancer, including melanoma.

In undergoing radiation therapy or radiotherapy, doctors will use low energy X-rays to destroy the tumor. This procedure usually has to be done several times until the tumor is completely destroyed.

For the treatment of melanoma skin cancer, radiotherapy is usually done to treat cases that are still relatively mild. However, it is possible that radiotherapy is done to treat melanoma that has spread to the brain or to other parts of the body with the aim of relieving the symptoms of this skin cancer.

7. Immunotherapy

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, immunotherapy is one type of treatment that can be done for melanoma skin cancer. Immunotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Usually, this procedure is effective in treating melanoma skin cancer patients who are already at a quite severe stage.

Immunotherapy boosts the patient's body's ability to fight melanoma or other types of skin cancer by using natural proteins produced by the immune system. This therapy can provide effective treatment for skin cancer, either alone or in combination with other types of treatment.

8. Chemotherapy

Another type of skin cancer treatment is chemotherapy. Basically, this medical procedure is indeed an option for all types of cancer. For skin cancer, chemotherapy is a fairly effective treatment option for treating melanoma skin cancer.

In this medical procedure, drugs are used to kill cancer cells. For cancer that is still in the outermost layer of the skin, usually the patient will be given a cream or lotion containing anti-cancer agents which is applied directly to the skin.

Meanwhile, systemic chemotherapy is usually done to treat skin cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

9. Targeted therapy

One of the effective treatments for melanoma skin cancer includes a technique that has minimal damage to the healthy cells that are around the cancer cells.

The reason is, targeted therapy uses drugs to attack melanoma cancer by occupying genes and molecules that play a role in accelerating the growth of melanoma cancer cells.

If successful, this treatment will help in slowing the progression of this cancer, so that the patient can live longer.

10. Photodynamic therapy

This skin cancer treatment is usually done for patients with skin cancer types of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. This therapy is done to destroy cancer cells with a combination of laser light and drugs that make cancer cells sensitive to light.

After undergoing this procedure, patients are required to avoid sun exposure for 48 hours. This is because exposure to ultraviolet light can increase the activation of the treatment and cause severe burns to the patient's skin.

Therefore, if you experience various symptoms that could lead to skin cancer, do early detection by seeing your doctor. If your doctor says you are healthy, avoid various causes of skin cancer and their risk factors. Of course it would be better to prevent skin cancer early on for your health.