The stage of cancer that you have will determine which of the many skin cancer treatments are available for you. Each person’s medical condition and their ability to withstand treatment will decide which procedure is best for them. With skin cancer, do not put off going to the doctor. By discovering it early and beginning treatment you will be extending your chance of surviving because these treatments have an extremely high success rate.
There are a number of effective treatment options for basal cell carcinoma. The Mohs Micrographic Surgery can be used to excise the cancer while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue intact. Layers of the cancer are removed and examined until the cancer is completely removed.
During the examination, if the doctor finds cancer cells he starts removing the thin layers continuously. Once the doctor finds that only normal tissue is left, he stops removal of further layers. Alternately, the doctor might use a normal incision to remove the skin cancer; however, in this case he might also remove some of the normal tissue along with it.
Cryosurgery can be used to freeze the skin cancer cells and kill them. The use of a laser to focus light that will kill the skin cancer cells. Radiation therapy may also be used for the treatment of skin cancer. The x-ray will be used to shrink and kill the skin cancer tumors. A lotion that uses chemotherapy can also be used topically to treat skin cancer. The chemotherapy will kill the skin cancer cells when the lotion is applied on the affected area.
The skin cancer treatment options that are used will depend on the individual case that is being treated. If you are recently diagnosed with skin cancer you will want to discuss your treatment options with your doctor. Remember to ask questions about the side effects and the success rate of each option.
To make a decision about skin cancer treatment, you should have all the pertinent information available to make a wise choice. Treating it early will keep it from spreading to other parts of your body. If you wait until the later stages of skin cancer, your options for treatment will be much less than if you had started earlier.
For the best skin cancer treatment options you should make sure that you perform a self examination at least once every month. It is imperative that you catch skin cancer early so that you can effectively treat it and eliminate it in your life.