Skin Cancer

What types of skin cancer do we treat?

We treat a variety of skin cancers, but here are the most common.

• Basal cell carcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Melanoma

How is skin cancer treated?

• Wide excision
  • This can be used to treat both primary and recurrent tumors by removing the tumor and an area of healthy skin (margin) around the tumor 
  • This technique involves removing a margin of normal skin from around the cancer  
  • Typically the wound is closed with stitches 
  • Sometimes the wound may be closed with skin from another arae of the body (skin graft) or healthy skin moved from a nearby area (skin flap) 
• Electrodesiccation and Currettage (ED&C)
  • This technique is used to treat basal cells and squamous cells 
  • It invovles scraping the tumor with a curette (a surgical instrument shaped like a long spoon) and then using an electric needle to gentle burn (cauterize) the remaining cancer cells 
• Imiquimod
  • "Cancer Cream"
  • Used in conjunction with ED&C
  • Typically used over 6 weeks 
• Mohs Micrographic Surgery 
  • This can be used to treat both squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma
  • Individual layers of the cancer are removed and examined under a microscope one at a time until all the cancer has been removed
  • The wound is closed with sutures