Quick check:
Although there are about three major types of skin cancer; basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. All types can be cured/removed if treated in their early stage.
That’s a piece of good news, right?
Right here, I would show you just everything you need to know about skin cancer removal. By the way, check out this competent California Cosmetic Surgeon.
The Various Skin Cancer Treatment Methods
Biopsy treatment:
If the skin cancer is still at stage 0, a biopsy treatment procedure can be used to remove cancerous cells from the skin.
Now:
You should know that a biopsy is basically used for testing if you are skin cancer positive or otherwise. But then, it can also be adopted for the removal of cancer cells limited to a small portion of the skin area.
It simply involves the insertion of a needle into the skin to remove the infected cells.
Mohs surgery
This procedure is one of the surest medical procedures for skin cancer removal. It guarantees that the skin layer containing the cancer tissues is eliminated without harming the healthy skin areas.
First, the affected skin area is numbed with the aid of some medical substance so you don’t feel pain, then the cancerous tissue and a bit of the surrounding tissue are removed from the skin after which the skin is stitched up.
Chemotherapy
This is a recommended treatment procedure for those whose cancer has evolved into advanced stages. Here, the patient is subjected to drugs that are either ingested via the mouth or injected into the bloodstream.
Other times, it could involve the topical application of drugs. It all depends on the stage.
Photodynamic therapy
This essentially involves the use of light radiation to activate the potency of certain drugs necessary to eliminate the cancer cells.
Such drugs are usually called photosynthesizers. A single treatment could cost up to $4000. And some of its advantages are the absence of long-term side effects as well as the absence of needle incisions in the patient skin.
Cryosurgery
What this implies is a skin cancer removal procedure that does not involve the use of a needle. Less scary, right? It is most suited for cancer that is still limited to a small skin area.
It involves the spray of liquid nitrogen on the skin surface to freeze and then destroy the cancerous cells and eventually the cells dry up and then fall off the skin.
However, this treatment is expensive depending on the area and severity, it could cost more than $10,000.
Curettage and Electrosurgery
Electrosurgery involves the use of needles that allow an electric current to pass through them to burn cancerous skin tissues. Curettage, on the other hand, involves the removal of unhealthy skin tissues with a blade.
However, electrosurgery is done immediately after curettage to ensure complete skin cancer removal and to stop bleeding.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is almost similar to photodynamic therapy, the subtle difference is the radiation beam is not used to activate any drug, rather the radiation is the cancer treatment itself.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
What will happen to a patient after skin cancer surgery?
If it is discovered that every cancerous cell in your body has been eliminated, you would be considered free of cancer. However, if otherwise, the process of removing the cancer tissues is repeated.
Is skin cancer surgery painful?
No, the process is not painful as you would have been numbed with anesthesia so you don’t feel any pain whatsoever when the surgery is ongoing.
What are the risks of skin cancer removal?
The adverse effects are not limited to pain, infections, and spread of the cancer, among others.
