Skin Cancer Treatment

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Philadelphia skin cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer to affect human beings.

Broadly speaking we divide skin cancer in to Melanoma and Non-Melanoma skin cancers.

Non-Melanoma skin cancer accounts for the vast majority of skin cancers in the United States.  This category includes Basal Cell Carcinoma (more than 4 million new cases/year in the U.S.) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (more than 1 million new cases/year in the U.S.) as well as less common skin cancers such as Sebaceous Carcinoma and Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Melanoma is the type of skin cancer that can develop in an existing mole or appear as a new mole on your skin.   If melanoma is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable. If it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body.  While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths.

BASAL CELL CARCINOMA TREATMENT OPTIONS:

Surgical Excision

-Destruction (Curettage and Electrosurgery)

-Topical therapies and Carbon Dioxide laser ablation for superficial Basal Cell Carcinomas

-Radiation Therapy

SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA TREATMENT OPTIONS:

Surgical Excision

-Destruction (Curettage and Electrosurgery)

-Carbon Dioxide laser ablation for in-situ Squamous Cell Carcinoma (also known as Bowen’s Disease)

Radiation Therapy

MELANOMA TREATMENT OPTIONS:

Surgical Excision

-Targeted therapies if advanced

 

 

PRIOR TO TREATING ANY SKIN CANCER WE WILL REVIEW IN DETAIL THE TREATMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND, TOGETHER WITH THE PATIENT, WE WILL CHOOSE THE BEST OPTION FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL SKIN CANCER.