Treatment Options For Skin Cancer

1. Treatment Options ForSkin Cancer

2. Skin cancer is a result of too much exposure to the sun. While skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, They are both preventable and treatable. There are mainly two types of skin cancer. • Basal cell skin cancer • Squamous cell skin cancers • Melanomas

3. BASAL CELL SKIN CANCERS • The most common type of skin cancer • It usually appears as fleshy, pearl-like bumps or red patches on the skin • Mostly found on the neck, head, and other areas exposed to sunlight or radiation • basal cell carcinomas do not usually spread

4. SQUAMOUS CELL SKIN CANCER • Tumors grow on the outer layer of the skin as non-healing, red scaly patches or firm bumps • Fair skinned individuals are generally more prone to developing squamous cell skin cancer • If not treated on time, these cancers can spread internally and cause serious damage to the underlying tissues and organs.

5. MELANOMAS • Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer which requires immediate treatment. • This cancer starts in a certain type of skin cell called melanin. • They can occur in people of all ages. • Early detection of melanoma is the key to complete cure.

6. Squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas are treated using the following techniques: • Surgery • Mohs micrographic surgery • Cryosurgery • Curettage and electrodessication • Radiation • Photodynamic therapy • Laser surgery

7. Surgery: The tumor cells along with some healthy, nearby tissue are removed. Mohs micrographic surgery: This surgery destroys only minimal healthy tissue. In a mohs surgery, the specialists at cancer treatment Philadelphia centers remove the tumor layer by layer and examine it under a microscope. The process is repeated until no cancer cells are left.

8. Cryosurgery:The cancer cells are first made to freeze and then destroyed using liquid nitrogen. Cryosurgery is usually recommended for patients who are intolerant to anesthesia or have bleeding disorders. Curettage and electrodessication: The cancer cells are scraped off using special equipment called the curette. An electrocautery needle is then used to kill any remaining cancer cells and seal off bleeding. Radiation: High energy radiation such as X-rays and gamma rays are focused on the area of cancer to kill the abnormal cells.

9. Photodynamic therapy: During a photodynamic therapy, a photo sensitive agent is first applied to the affected area. The skin is then exposed to a strong light and the photo sensitive agents are activated to kill the cancer cells. Laser surgery: YAG lasers or carbon dioxide lasers are used to kill the cancer cells. Laser surgery is an experimental type of treatment and is usually recommended only when all other types of treatment fail.

10. Melanoma are treated using the following techniques: • Surgery • Radiation therapy • Chemotherapy • Immunotherapy

11. Surgery: Surgery is often the first option to remove all stages of melanomas and those that are detected early can be treated using surgery alone. If the melanoma has spread to the nearby lymph nodes, then those nodes are also removed during surgery. Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses X-rays or other high energy radiation to kill the cancer cells and shrink tumors. The oncologists specializing in cancer treatment Philadelphia usually recommend radiation therapy for patients with advanced stages of the disease that has spread to the bones, brain or other organs.

12. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses a variety of anticancer drugs to kill the cancer. The treatment is usually done in cycles alternating between a treatment period and a recovery period. Chemotherapy is usually recommended for patients whose melanoma has spread to several lymph nodes or other organs. Immunotherapy: The immune system releases special proteins to fight against infection and cancer. This type of treatment uses the body’s natural immune system to fight against the cancer cells.