Skin cancer

Diagnosis

If there are changes at your existing mole, or any new abnormal skin growth or skin spots, it is advisable to visit the physician for consultation.

• Skin examination – the specialist will assess the skin for any skin changes.
• Skin biopsy – surgical procedure will be performed by the physician to remove a sample of the abnormal skin for pathology to determine if it is cancer and its type.
• Diagnostic Imaging Procedure – includes Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Computerized Tomography (CT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This is to determine the staging of the cancer.

Once the specialist confirmed the diagnosis of skin cancer, then the following step is to know the staging of the cancer in order to develop a precise treatment plan. The stages of cancer are indicated by Roman numerals ranging from I to IV. The lowest stage indicates a cancer is small and limited. The highest stage – stage IV – indicates that the cancer had spread and advanced.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on the stage of the cancer. The type, size, depth, and location are some of the factors which can effect on how to choose which treatment to apply. Treatment options could be discussed with the specialist.
Biopsy could remove all the cancer tissue if the cancer is small and restricted to the surface of the skin.

Surgery

• Freezing – cryosurgery (freezing with liquid nitrogen) is the treatment that destroy actinic keratoses and some early skin cancers.
• Excisional surgery – removal of the cancerous tissue and the healthy skin that surrounds it, or removal of the tumor.
• Mohs surgery – for the cancer that is large, recurring or difficult to treat. The procedure is to remove the cancerous cells and limit removing the surrounding normal skin tissue. Commonly used for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.
• Curettage and electrodesiccation – the specialist will remove the tumor by scraping across it with an instrument and then use a needle in order to destroy the remaining cancer cells. Basal cell and squamous cell cancers are treated best with this method.

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy – uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Creams or lotions containing anti-cancer agent will be applied to the top layer of the skin.

Systemic chemotherapy will be used if cancer has spread to other parts of your body.

• Radiation Therapy – an option which is recommended if surgery cannot remove all the cancerous cells.
• Photodynamic therapy – is a treatment that destroys skin cancer cells with a combination of laser light. It help destroy the pre-cancerous cells and avoid destroying the normal cells.