If you have received a diagnosis of skin cancer you might be wondering what treatment which you will receive as, even if you have already been over your treatment choices with your doctor, you might still feel lost due to the inability to absorb all the technical jargon that was thrown at you. It is also possible that you might not have taken in the information because of the shock following your diagnosis.
Here therefore is a brief outline of just some of the treatments which are typically used to treat skin cancer.
The precise treatment which you will receive will depend upon various different factors including things like your age and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Your treatment could include surgery in which your surgeon could decide to remove the cancerous region itself together with some of the skin from the surrounding area. The amount of normal skin removed will be dependent upon the particular type of cancer found and how deep it is. Usually an area of about one to two centimeters of skin from the surrounding area is removed.
Some types of skin cancer can be treated by freezing using a substance called liquid nitrogen or treated with drugs such as Imiquimod which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use on superficial basal cell carcinoma.
More extensive surgery may be necessary if a lymph node is found to contain cancer cells following a biopsy of a suspect area. This technique is designed to remove lymph nodes close to the cancer along with affected skin and is usually followed by radiotherapy.
A fairly recent development for skin cancer treatment is what is referred to as immunotherapy cancer vaccination although research into this particular form of treatment is still being undertaken and it is as yet not widely available. Chemotherapy may also be ordered if your skin cancer has spread to other areas.
There is no definitive form of prevention for skin cancer but there are a number of things which you can do to lessen your chance of developing the disease and the most important and generally ignored is to keep your skin covered if you are out in the sun.
All of us, no matter what the type or color of skin you have should make use of a sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15. It is also a good idea to wear sufficient clothing and remain in the shade as much as possible, particularly between 11am and 3pm when the sun's rays are at their strongest. By the same token, it is not advisable to make use of sunlamps and sun beds as these too give off harmful rays.
Lastly, keep an eye on your skin and pay particular attention to any changes in moles and lesions. If changes are seen then you ought to see your doctor as soon as possible so that you can be treated while the problem is at an early stage
Here therefore is a brief outline of just some of the treatments which are typically used to treat skin cancer.
The precise treatment which you will receive will depend upon various different factors including things like your age and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Your treatment could include surgery in which your surgeon could decide to remove the cancerous region itself together with some of the skin from the surrounding area. The amount of normal skin removed will be dependent upon the particular type of cancer found and how deep it is. Usually an area of about one to two centimeters of skin from the surrounding area is removed.
Some types of skin cancer can be treated by freezing using a substance called liquid nitrogen or treated with drugs such as Imiquimod which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use on superficial basal cell carcinoma.
More extensive surgery may be necessary if a lymph node is found to contain cancer cells following a biopsy of a suspect area. This technique is designed to remove lymph nodes close to the cancer along with affected skin and is usually followed by radiotherapy.
A fairly recent development for skin cancer treatment is what is referred to as immunotherapy cancer vaccination although research into this particular form of treatment is still being undertaken and it is as yet not widely available. Chemotherapy may also be ordered if your skin cancer has spread to other areas.
There is no definitive form of prevention for skin cancer but there are a number of things which you can do to lessen your chance of developing the disease and the most important and generally ignored is to keep your skin covered if you are out in the sun.
All of us, no matter what the type or color of skin you have should make use of a sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15. It is also a good idea to wear sufficient clothing and remain in the shade as much as possible, particularly between 11am and 3pm when the sun's rays are at their strongest. By the same token, it is not advisable to make use of sunlamps and sun beds as these too give off harmful rays.
Lastly, keep an eye on your skin and pay particular attention to any changes in moles and lesions. If changes are seen then you ought to see your doctor as soon as possible so that you can be treated while the problem is at an early stage
About the Author:
YourCancerQuestions.com provides answers to not just your questions about skin cancer but to cancer questions on a wide range of topics including lung, cervical, stomach, bone cancer and much more.
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