How do dermatologists treat skin cancer?
To disease skin cancer, a dermatologist looks at the skin. A dermatologist will carefully examine growths, moles, and dry patches on the skin.
To get a better look, a dermatologist may use a device called a
dermoscope which shines light on the skin. It magnifies the skin. This helps the dermatologist to see pigment and structures in the skin.
If a dermatologist finds something that looks like skin cancer, the dermatologist will remove it. The removed skin will be sent to a lab for a biopsy. Skin cancer cannot be diagnosed without a biopsy.
A biopsy is quick, safe, and easy for a dermatologist to perform. A biopsy should not cause anxiety. The discomfort and risks are minimal.
Surgical treatment: When treating skin cancer, the goal is to remove all of the cancer. When the cancer has not spread, this is often possible. To remove skin cancer, the following surgical treatment may be used:
Other treatments for skin cancer are:
Even if you get a clean bill of health, you need to continue to see your dermatologist. Once a person gets skin cancer, the risk of getting another skin cancer is higher. Sometimes skin cancer returns. Your dermatologist will tell you how often you should return for checkups.
Without early treatment, the outcome is not as favorable. Skin cancer can grow deeply. Removing the cancer can mean removing muscle and even bone. Reconstructive surgery may be needed after the surgery to remove the skin cancer. And skin cancer can spread.
If the cancer spreads, treatment can be difficult. Treatment may not cure cancer that spreads.
Isotretinoin (commonly known as Accutane) is a potentially dangerous prescription medicine that should only be taken under the close supervision of your healthcare professional and pharmacist. If you are pregnant or may get pregnant, isotretinoin (Accutane) can cause birth defects, miscarriage, premature births, and death in babies. (Isotretinoin is sold under the brand name of Accutane and in generic versions called Amnesteem, Claravis, and Sotret.)
Buying this product over the Internet bypasses important procedures to ensure that patients can take this drug safely. When these procedures are ignored, isotretinoin can cause serious and harmful side effects. Patients taking isotretinoin may experience side effects including bad headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, stroke, diarrhea, and muscle weakness. Additionally, serious mental health problems, such as depression and suicide, have been reported with isotretinoin use.
To disease skin cancer, a dermatologist looks at the skin. A dermatologist will carefully examine growths, moles, and dry patches on the skin.
To get a better look, a dermatologist may use a device called a
dermoscope which shines light on the skin. It magnifies the skin. This helps the dermatologist to see pigment and structures in the skin.
If a dermatologist finds something that looks like skin cancer, the dermatologist will remove it. The removed skin will be sent to a lab for a biopsy. Skin cancer cannot be diagnosed without a biopsy.
A biopsy is quick, safe, and easy for a dermatologist to perform. A biopsy should not cause anxiety. The discomfort and risks are minimal.
How do dermatologists treat skin cancer?
There are many treatments for skin cancer. A dermatologist selects treatment after considering the following:- Type of skin cancer
- Where the skin cancer appears on the body
- Whether the skin cancer is aggressive
- Stage of the cancer (how deeply the skin cancer has grown and whether it has spread)
- Patient’s health
Surgical treatment: When treating skin cancer, the goal is to remove all of the cancer. When the cancer has not spread, this is often possible. To remove skin cancer, the following surgical treatment may be used:
- Excision: To perform this, the dermatologist
numbs the skin and then surgically cuts out the skin cancer and a small
amount of normal-looking skin. This normal-looking skin is called a
margin. There are different types of excision. Most excisions can be
performed in a dermatologist’s office.
- Mohs surgery: A dermatologist who has completed
additional medical training in Mohs surgery performs this procedure.
Once a dermatologist completes this training, the dermatologist is
called a Mohs surgeon.
Mohs surgery begins with the surgeon removing the visible part of the skin cancer. Because cancer cells are not visible to the naked eye, the surgeon also removes some skin that looks normal but may contain cancer cells.
This part of the surgery is performed one layer at a time. After removing a layer of skin, it is prepared so that the surgeon can examine it under a microscope and look for cancer cells.
If the surgeon sees cancer cells, the surgeon removes another layer of skin. This layer-by-layer approach continues until the surgeon no longer finds cancer cells. In most cases, Mohs surgery can be completed within a day or less. The cure rate for skin cancer is high when Mohs surgery is used.
- Curettage and electrodesiccation: This surgical procedure may be used to treat small basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers.
It involves scraping the tumor with a curette and then using an electric needle to gently cauterize (burn) the remaining cancer cells and some normal-looking tissue. This scraping and cauterizing process is typically repeated 3 times. The wound tends to heal without stitches.
Sometimes, curettage is used alone.
Other treatments for skin cancer are:
- Immunotherapy: This treatment uses the
patient’s own immune system to fight the cancer. The patient applies a
cream (generic name is imiquimod) to the skin as directed by the
dermatologist.
- Cryosurgery: The dermatologist freezes the skin
cancer. Freezing destroys the treated area, causing the skin and cancer
cells to slough off.
- Chemotherapy applied to the skin: The generic
name for the medicine used in this treatment is 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU.
The patient applies 5-FU to the skin cancer. It destroys the damaged
skin cells. When the skin heals, new skin appears.
- Chemotherapy: If the cancer spreads beyond the
skin, chemotherapy may kill the cancer cells. When a patient gets
chemotherapy, the patient takes medicine. This medicine may be
swallowed, injected (shots), or infused (given with an IV). The medicine
travels throughout the body and kills the cancer cells. The medicine
also destroys some normal cells. This can cause side effects, such as
vomiting and hair loss. When chemotherapy stops, the side effects
usually disappear.
- Photodynamic therapy: This treatment consists
of 2 phases. First, a chemical is applied to the skin cancer. This
chemical sits on the skin cancer for several hours. During the second
phase, the skin cancer is exposed to a special light. This light
destroys the cancer cells.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation may be used to treat older adults who have a large skin cancer, skin cancers that cover a large area, or a skin cancer that is difficult to surgically remove. Radiation therapy gradually destroys the cancer cells through repeat exposure to radiation. A patient may receive 15 to 30 treatments. This treatment is often only recommended for older adults. Many years after a person is exposed to radiation, new skin cancer can develop.
What outcome can someone with skin cancer expect?
If it is caught early and properly treated, skin cancer can be cured. Even melanoma, which can be deadly, has a cure rate of almost 100% when treated early.Even if you get a clean bill of health, you need to continue to see your dermatologist. Once a person gets skin cancer, the risk of getting another skin cancer is higher. Sometimes skin cancer returns. Your dermatologist will tell you how often you should return for checkups.
Without early treatment, the outcome is not as favorable. Skin cancer can grow deeply. Removing the cancer can mean removing muscle and even bone. Reconstructive surgery may be needed after the surgery to remove the skin cancer. And skin cancer can spread.
If the cancer spreads, treatment can be difficult. Treatment may not cure cancer that spreads.
Skin cancer occurs when skin cells start growing abnormally, causing cancerous growths.
Most skin cancers develop on the visible outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), particularly in sun-exposed areas (face, head, hands, arms, and legs). They are usually easy to detect by examining the skin, which increases the chances of early treatment and survival.
There are a variety of less common types of skin cancers, including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and Merkel cell carcinoma.
Skin cancer is considered low risk when the affected cells remain clustered in a single group. It is considered high risk when the cells have invaded surrounding tissues. High risk forms of cancer require more aggressive treatments.
Almost all skin cancers start as a small, low-risk lesions, but can grow and become high-risk lesions if left untreated. Melanoma is the most alarming type because it has a higher risk of invading surrounding tissues or spreading to other parts of the body (metastasis) before being detected. Squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer are more likely to be detected and treated effectively before they become malignant.
If skin cancer is detected before it has spread to surrounding tissues, chances of a complete cure are excellent.
An actinic keratosis is considered an early form of squamous cell carcinoma. An actinic keratosis, a new or changing mole (nevi), and other unusual lesions on your skin should be carefully monitored and brought to the attention of your doctor.
Most skin cancers develop on the visible outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), particularly in sun-exposed areas (face, head, hands, arms, and legs). They are usually easy to detect by examining the skin, which increases the chances of early treatment and survival.
What are the different types of skin cancer?
There are different types of skin cancer, each named for the type of skin cell from which they originate. The majority of skin cancers fall into one of the following categories:- Basal cell carcinoma which comes from the basal cells in lowest part of the epidermis. 80-85% of skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas.
- Squamous cell carcinoma which comes from the skin cells (keratinocytes) that make up the top layers of the skin. About 10% of skin cancers are SCC.
- Melanoma comes from skin cells called melanocytes, which create pigment called melanin that gives skin its color. 5% of all skin cancers are melanoma. Although less common, melanomas are a very dangerous type of skin cancer and are the leading cause of death from skin disease.
There are a variety of less common types of skin cancers, including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and Merkel cell carcinoma.
Skin cancer is considered low risk when the affected cells remain clustered in a single group. It is considered high risk when the cells have invaded surrounding tissues. High risk forms of cancer require more aggressive treatments.
Almost all skin cancers start as a small, low-risk lesions, but can grow and become high-risk lesions if left untreated. Melanoma is the most alarming type because it has a higher risk of invading surrounding tissues or spreading to other parts of the body (metastasis) before being detected. Squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer are more likely to be detected and treated effectively before they become malignant.
If skin cancer is detected before it has spread to surrounding tissues, chances of a complete cure are excellent.
Precancerous skin lesions (precancers)
Skin cancer may often be preceded by lesions called pre-cancers. The most well-known of these lesions is called actinic keratosis.An actinic keratosis is considered an early form of squamous cell carcinoma. An actinic keratosis, a new or changing mole (nevi), and other unusual lesions on your skin should be carefully monitored and brought to the attention of your doctor.
Isotretinoin (commonly known as Accutane) is a potentially dangerous prescription medicine that should only be taken under the close supervision of your healthcare professional and pharmacist. If you are pregnant or may get pregnant, isotretinoin (Accutane) can cause birth defects, miscarriage, premature births, and death in babies. (Isotretinoin is sold under the brand name of Accutane and in generic versions called Amnesteem, Claravis, and Sotret.)
Buying this product over the Internet bypasses important procedures to ensure that patients can take this drug safely. When these procedures are ignored, isotretinoin can cause serious and harmful side effects. Patients taking isotretinoin may experience side effects including bad headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, stroke, diarrhea, and muscle weakness. Additionally, serious mental health problems, such as depression and suicide, have been reported with isotretinoin use.
- You should NEVER buy Accutane (isotretinoin) or any of the generic versions of Accutane without first seeing your healthcare professional.
- You should NEVER take Accutane (isotretinoin) or any of the generic versions of Accutane if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant or could accidentally become pregnant.
- Some websites sell prescription drugs without a prescription. This is illegal and DANGEROUS.
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