The skin is the body’s largest organ, and skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. You can get skin cancer anywhere on your body, but the risk is greatest in areas that are exposed to sunlight often, like your face, neck, hands, and arms. Skin cancer often looks like a mole with an irregular shape or color, and its appearance and size can change over time. It may also be itchy or painful. Detecting it early will give you and your doctor more ways to answer the question: how is skin cancer treated?
Diagnosis
Everyone should get a mole check from a dermatologist at least once a year, since not all skin cancers look unusual to laypeople. If your doctor finds a mole or growth on your skin that looks suspicious, then he or she will perform a biopsy. There are four main types of skin biopsies:
- In a shave biopsy, the abnormal-looking growth is shaved off with a sterile razor blade.
- In a punch biopsy, an instrument called a punch or trephine removes a circle of tissue for testing.
- In an incisional biopsy, part of the growth is removed with a scalpel.
- In an excisional biopsy, the entire growth is removed with a scalpel.
Surgery
If your biopsy results are positive, you may need a second surgery to remove the entire tumor. In traditional surgery, the doctor removes a thin layer of normal-looking tissue along with the tumor to make sure that all the cancer cells were removed. This preserves the healthy tissue from the risk of recurrence.
Other Treatments
In cryosurgery, your dermatologist destroys the tumor by freezing it with liquid nitrogen. No anesthesia is needed, but scar tissue could form. With more severe skin cancers, radiation or chemotherapy could be necessary. Some chemotherapy is available as a topical cream.
Arsenault Dermatology provides quality skin cancer treatment at both of our Southwest Florida locations (Sarasota, Bradenton, or Lakewood Ranch). Schedule an appointment with us today for a professional consultation and more information on how skin cancer is treated.
