Categories: Cancer Treatment

Quick Guide to Skin Cancer Treatment Options

The right skin cancer treatment can provide an effective way to care for your condition. Different doctors join minds in creating a care plan for specific types of cancers. A skin cancer care plan includes treatments for symptoms and side effects. If you want to know more about the skin cancer treatment options available, here is a quick guide.

Radiation therapy

This treatment uses high-energy particles to degrade skin cancer cells. This is an alternative to surgery if the area is difficult to reach. The doctor can perform radiation therapy on the tip of the nose, eyelid, or ear. The therapy is also good for avoiding surgical scarring. The doctor may also recommend radiation therapy after surgery. The goal is to prevent skin cancer from coming back.

HDR (high-dose radiation) brachytherapy is a skin cancer treatment involving the use of a radioactive seed. The doctor will use a plastic applicator to place the seed on the area of the skin cancer. This is a direct yet non-invasive way of delivering the radiation to the affected part of the skin. It lessens the radiation absorption of the surrounding healthy tissues. HDR brachytherapy lasts for about 10 minutes. The patient often needs 6 to 10 treatment sessions before the doctor checks the effectiveness of the skin cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy

This skin cancer treatment uses medications to prevent the development of cancer cells. This will happen either by stopping cell division or by killing the cells. Chemotherapy can address the skin cancer cells left after surgery or other treatments. Systemic chemotherapy is for squamous or basal cell carcinomas that have already spread to other parts of the body. Topical chemotherapy comes in cream form. This skin cancer treatment is for cancerous cells that are not in the skin yet.

Surgery

This skin cancer treatment removes the tumor and surrounding healthy tissue. Studies show that this treatment can remove any type of skin cancer with one procedure. In skin cancers, most surgeries are successful in removing the cancerous cells. The doctor will choose the type of surgery depending on the location, size, and type of skin cancer. Numbing the skin will keep the procedure painless. The doctor can perform the procedure in a hospital operating room or a clinic.

A simple excision is a type of surgery that cuts the tumor from the skin along with some normal tissue. Mohs surgery removes the tumor in layers. The layers of the tumor keep going until a healthy skin layer appears. Shave excision shaves off the abnormal skin area with a tiny blade. Electrodesiccation and curettage surgery uses a curette to cut out the skin tumor. Then, an electrode destroys the remaining cancer cells and stops the bleeding.

Laser surgery uses a laser beam as its scalpel. It results in bloodless cuts in removing cancerous cells. Cryosurgery uses a freezing instrument to destroy the abnormal tissue. In dermabrasion, the doctor removes the top skin layer with a rotating wheel to rub away the cancerous cells.

Photodynamic therapy

This is a skin cancer treatment for actinic keratoses. Applying aminoluvenic acid on the precancerous, scaly areas of the skin is the first stage of the treatment. The doctor will expose the area to a treatment light for several minutes to three hours. Taking pain medication before the photodynamic therapy can make the treatment less painful.

The skin will be sensitive while the aminoluvenic acid goes to work. Avoiding sun exposure after the treatment is ideal. Wearing protective clothing and sunglasses will protect the skin. Sunscreen can also help protect irritated skin.

Freezing

Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to destroy cancer cells. It can treat precancerous skin ailments. The liquid nitrogen will sting upon first contact with the skin. The skin will then blister and then shed off. The patient will need at least one freezing session. In some cases, the procedure produces a scar.

Drug therapy

This is a systemic form of treatment using medication to destroy cancer cells. The doctor will give the medication through the patient’s bloodstream. This will reach the cancer cells all over the patient’s body. The doctor will prescribe the form of cancer medication the patient needs. This may come in the form of targeted pills or intravenous medication.

The doctor will choose which skin cancer treatment is right for you

Detecting and treating skin cancer is possible with the latest innovations in medicine. The doctor will perform a complete diagnosis. The doctor will then choose the right skin cancer treatment. An appointment with your doctor will start your journey toward better skin and general health.

Get more information about Lindenberg Cancer & Hematology Center in Marlton at https://lindenbergcancer.com.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Skin Cancer Treatment in Marlton, NJ.

Recent Posts

Preparing For Chemotherapy Treatment: A Patient’s Guide

Facing chemotherapy treatment can be overwhelming, even if it is the right thing for your health. When it comes to cancer and cancer treatment, there is only so much the patient can control. However, understanding what to expect and how to prepare can put some control back in the patient’s hands and help set them…

Choosing The Right Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Comprehensive Guide

The stage of the cancer determines the type of prostate cancer treatment the oncologist will provide. This treatment can offer a multi-layered approach, ranging in levels of invasiveness. However, no matter what stage you are in, the earlier we can provide medical intervention, the better your chances of remission.Prostate cancer staging can be complex to…

How Anemia Affects Your Energy And Overall Health

Anemia can affect life in many ways, the most common of which is lowering energy. An oncologist can help patients with anemia renew their energy and lessen the impact of other common symptoms. This way, patients can minimize how anemia affects their overall health and well-being.Anemia is categorized as a blood disorder because it occurs…

Why You Need A Hematologist For Blood Disorder Treatment

A hematologist is specially trained to diagnose, treat, and manage blood disorders. Being referred to this medical specialist may cause some worry or concern. However, they can provide an accurate diagnosis and an effective treatment plan if blood abnormalities are found in your bloodstream.Hematology is the branch of medicine that studies blood, blood-forming organs, and…

Lindenberg Cancer & Hematology Center

Share
Published by
Lindenberg Cancer & Hematology Center

Recent Posts

Preparing for Chemotherapy Treatment: A Patient’s Guide

Facing chemotherapy treatment can be overwhelming, even if it is the right thing for your…

3 weeks ago

Choosing the Right Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Comprehensive Guide

The stage of the cancer determines the type of prostate cancer treatment the oncologist will…

3 weeks ago

How Anemia Affects Your Energy and Overall Health

Anemia can affect life in many ways, the most common of which is lowering energy.

3 weeks ago

Why You Need a Hematologist for Blood Disorder Treatment

A hematologist is specially trained to diagnose, treat, and manage blood disorders.

2 months ago

The Role of a Cancer Specialist in Your Treatment Journey

A cancer specialist manages the road on one's cancer journey from beginning to end.

2 months ago

Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment Options: A Comprehensive Guide

Gastrointestinal cancer treatment requires a tailored and multifaceted approach to treating cancer affecting the digestive…

2 months ago