The skin cancer treatment depends up on the type of skin cancer you have. General health, age, the size and type on your body is taken into account by the doctor.
The skin cancer treatment includes the surgery, cryotherapy, cautery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Skin cancer treatment by surgery is a simple operation done under local anesthesia in the doctor’s room. The skin cancer is cut from the small area from the normal skin. Stitches are given to close the wound.
Skin grafts are used to cover the wound that is made by the removal of large skin. For this purpose, a layer of skin is taken from other part of your body and placed over the wound.
After the operation the wound will be left undisturbed for many days as it is covered with the dressing. The dressing is done on the other area from where the skin is taken.
The pain relief may be prescribed by the doctor if you have pain and feel uncomfortable. There is a risk of having scarring, infection and haematoma.
Cryotherapy is method of treating the skin cancer or solar keratosis that is small and not deep by freezing. For freezing, the liquid nitrogen is placed over the cancer. It can lead to burning or stinging feeling.
In one or two weeks after the treatment, you will get some scabbing and blistering on the skin. It may leave a scar and it takes four weeks to heal but longer time to heal on legs.
To remove the cancer completely, more than one treatment is required.
Cautery and curettage is also known as electrodessication. By using the instrument called curette, the small basal cell carcinoma is removed by the doctor under local anesthesia. The cautery may be used to remove the remaining cancer cells and to control the bleeding.
The advantage is it is very simple and you can get back to your normal activities quickly.
Radiotherapy can be done by targeting the cancer cells by radiation. It is not used very often but it is used if you are medically unfit for surgery.
This treatment is divided into several doses and given for 2 to 6 weeks. It takes less time and it is not painful.
Chemotherapy involves the treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs. Cancer cells are killed by drugs.
A cream containing the 5-fluorouracil (Efudix)is used for the skin cancer treatment by topical chemotherapy. The skin usually becomes red and inflammated but there are no side effects.
Immunotherapy is used to fight the skin cancer more vigorously by stimulating the immune system. Some basal cell carcinomas and solar keratoses are treated by this method.
The drug imiquimod, a cream is applied to the skin having cancer. The area where it is applied is boosted by immune response.
This treatment requires about six weeks time. The treatment leads to scabbing and redness of the skin that is left for three months. It will not leave any scar.
The skin cancer treatment is done by surgery, cryotherapy, cautery etc to treat your skin cancer.
