Treatment

The treatment of skin cancer depends on the size and location of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread, and the patient’s overall health. In many cases, a team of doctors, including a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in diseases and conditions of the skin), surgeon, radiation oncologist (a doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer), and medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication), will work with the patient to determine the best treatment plan.

This section outlines treatments that are the standard of care (best treatments available) for this specific type of cancer. Patients are also encouraged to consider clinical trials when making treatment plan decisions. A clinical trial is a research study to test a new treatment to prove it is safe, effective, and possibly better than standard treatment. Your doctor can help you review all treatment options. For more information, visit the Clinical Trials section.

Descriptions of the most common treatment options for skin cancer are listed below.

Surgery

Many skin cancers can be removed from the skin quickly and easily, and often no further treatment is needed. Most of these treatments use a local anesthetic to numb the skin and can be done outside of a hospital, either by a dermatologist, general surgeon, or plastic surgeon. Different types of surgical procedures are used depending on the size of the cancer and where it is located.

Curettage and electrodessication. In this common procedure, the cancer is removed with a curette, which is a sharp, spoon-shaped instrument. The area can then be treated with electrodessication, which uses an electric current to control bleeding and kill any remaining cancer cells. Many people have a flat, pale scar after this procedure.

Mohs surgery. This technique involves removing the visible tumor, in addition to small fragments of the edge around where the tumor existed. Each small fragment is examined under a microscope until all cancer is removed. This is typically used for larger tumors, those in hard to reach places, and for cancers that have come back in the same place.

Freezing. Used most often on precancerous skin conditions, this procedure (called cryosurgery) uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill cells. The skin will later blister and shed off. This procedure will sometimes leave a pale scar. More than one freezing may be needed.

Laser therapy. A narrow beam of high-intensity light can destroy precancer confined to the outer layer of the skin.

Grafting. When a large tumor is removed, surgeons may use a skin graft from another area of the body to both close the wound and reduce scarring.

Learn more about cancer surgery.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be used for skin cancer that is hard to treat with surgery, such as skin cancer that appears on the eyelid, tip of the nose, and ear; several treatments may be needed. The most common type of radiation treatment is called external-beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body. The side effects from radiation therapy may include a rash, dry or red skin, or a change in the color of the skin. Most side effects go away soon after treatment is finished. Learn more about radiation therapy.

Topical chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. For cancers located only on the top layer of the skin or to treat precancerous skin conditions, doctors may prescribe chemotherapy in a cream or lotion. These drugs are usually applied daily for several weeks. They may cause inflammation, which goes away once treatment is finished.

In addition to the topical chemotherapy that has been used for many years, some doctors are using imiquimod (Aldara), a topical immune response modifier, to treat early basal cell carcinomas, actinic keratoses (a precancer to squamous cell carcinoma) and very thin squamous cell carcinoma. Imiquimod is applied several times a week.

Learn more about chemotherapy and preparing for treatment. The medications used to treat cancer are continually being evaluated. Talking with your doctor is often the best way to learn about the medications prescribed for you, their purpose, and their potential side effects or interactions with other medications. Learn more about your prescriptions by using searchable drug databases.

Advanced skin cancer

In rare cases, squamous cell cancer can grow deeper into the skin and can spread to other parts of the body. Sites of a chronic inflammatory skin condition, mucous membranes (skin that lines the mouth, nose, vagina, and anus), and the lips are most susceptible to squamous cell cancer.

Surgery alone is not effective to treat skin cancer that has metastasized. To control this distant spread, a person’s health-care team may recommend chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy. Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials either made by the body or in a laboratory to bolster, target, or restore immune system function.

Find out more about common terms used during cancer treatment.