Treatments & Side Effects for Skin Cancer

Skin cancer occurs when the cells of the skin grow in an abnormal way. The treatments that are available for skin cancer will depend on the severity of the condition. An early diagnosis greatly improves the outcome of these treatments. It is important to note any changes in the skin and show your doctor any discolorations or sores that are not healing properly.

Diagnosis

• Diagnosis is the most important part of treatment and curing skin cancer. An early diagnosis gives the patient a much better chance at a successful treatment. Show the doctor if you notice changes in the size or color of a mole. Evaluate any sores on the body that have not healed properly. This self- evaluation detects skin cancer in its earliest stages.
  The diagnosis requires a biopsy to be accurate. A biopsy is a sample of tissue taken from the affected area. A laboratory will analyze the sample to determine if skin cancer is present. The diagnosis will also determine the stage of the cancer, which means whether the cancer is only affecting the skin or if it has spread to other areas of the body.

Treatments

• Freezing or excising the affected area are two of the treatments for skin cancer. Freezing kills the tissue with liquid nitrogen and it falls off on its own when the skin thaws. Excision cuts the affected tissue out. Both procedures will leave a scar. Lasers and Mohs surgery removes the cancer cells with only a small scar left behind.
  Radiation and chemotherapy destroy the cancer cells without surgery. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer cells. Skin cancer is treated with topical chemotherapy drugs. Systemic chemotherapy treats cancer that has spread to other areas of the body. Systemic chemotherapy introduces drugs into the body or system to destroy cancer cells.

Side Effects

• Scarring is a common side effect from skin cancer treatment. Doctors are skilled in excising affected tissue from an affected area and leaving only a small scar behind. Any treatment for skin cancer that removes the affected tissue from the skin may result in a scar. It is important to find a doctor that is experienced in this type of treatment.
  Topical creams used for skin cancer may cause inflammation. There may even be scars after using these chemicals for skin cancer treatment. Systemic chemotherapy may cause nausea and vomiting along with hair loss. Some patients experience fatigue and mouth sores with this type of skin cancer treatment.