SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR SKIN CANCER
There are multiple options available to treat skin cancer.
Options include
SKIN BIOPSY
CURETTE AND CAUTERY
SKIN EXCISION
MOHS SURGERY
SKIN BIOPSY
- There are three types of skin biopsy
- Shave biopsy
- These biopsies are useful for skin cancer
- No sutures are required
- Punch biopsy
- These are useful for Rashes and inflammatory skin issues.
- A deep (to fat) core sample (usually 3-4 mm) is taken .
- The site may or may not be closed with a suture.
- Excisional / incisional biopy
- When a larger sample is required
Often used for potential melanoma.
CURETTE AND CAUTERY
- This is an option for superficial forms osbasal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (egbowens disease)
- Description of procedure
- The area is numbed with an injection of anaesthetic
- A looped curette is used to remove the tumour until normal skin is visualised. The base is cauterised using a hyfrecator.
- The process is repeated.
SKIN EXCISION
- Excision of skin cancer remains the Gold standard treatment for skin cancer.
- Lesions are removed with a margin determined by your Dermatologist based on tumour characteristics.
- With the correct margins excision cure rates are around 95% or greater.
- South East Dermatology Stafford has two purpose built theatres.
MOHS SURGERY
- This is a specilised surgery where the surgeon examines the entire edge of the excised lesion at the time of surgery.
- If there is residual tumour the surgeon removes then involved area only.
- Cure rates for this surgery approach 98-99%
- Your Dermatologist will advise whether MOHS surgery is the best treatment and can organise referral.