Skin Cancer Treatment: Understanding the Surgical Options for Your Condition
Surgical procedures are beneficial for eliminating cancerous cells from the skin. Therefore, your doctor might recommend surgery if you are diagnosed with skin cancer. In most cases, if the harmful cells on the skin are detected early and are eliminated promptly, the patient is able to recover with minimal complications. However, if you delay the surgical treatment, the cancer will spread into other tissues and organs. The required treatment will be intensive and difficult after the escalation. If you are uncertain about the nature of skin cancer surgeries, you should consider this short discussion on the different procedures.
Excision of the Tumour
In excisional surgery, the doctor will remove the diseased skin using a scalpel. In simple terms, the physician will cut out the entire area affected by the cancerous tumour. Also, healthy skin around the tumour will be excised along with the damaged cells to minimise the risk of recurrence. Once the tumour is removed, the affected area will be stitched up. Usually, the doctor will collect tissue samples from the treated area to confirm that the cancerous cells are completely removed. Another surgery might be necessary if there are cancerous tissues remaining. You should note that this type of surgery can be used for most skin cancers. However, it will only work with maximum effectiveness if the tumour is discovered early.
Mohs Surgical Procedure
Mohs surgery is beneficial for treating most carcinomas and melanomas because it is thorough and minimises the risk of a relapse. In general, the procedure involves the removal of cancerous tissues in stages within one visit. In a typical session, the doctor will remove a thin layer of the patient's skin tissue before colour coding and mapping it. The tissue will be examined under the microscope to identify the location of cancerous cells. These cells will be removed and the process will be repeated to detect remaining tumorous cells. The procedure will be repeated until no harmful tissues remain. This surgical process is favourable for treating aggressive and large tumours without distinct edges.
Electrodessication
Small lesions can be eliminated through curettage and electrodessication. Typically, the physician will use a curette to scrape the cancerous cells and then an electrocautery surgical needle will be used to remove remaining tumour cells and prevent bleeding after curettage. The process is often repeated to ensure removal of all harmful growths. This method is highly effective and has a high cure rate. However, it cannot be used on cosmetically significant body parts.
To learn more, contact a skin cancer clinic in your area.
Share