Skin cancer can be an emotional ordeal, but it doesn’t have to be. As long as skin cancer is caught in its early stages, it is usually incredibly easy to treat and get rid of altogether. While there are a wide variety of treatment options that individuals with skin cancer can undergo, sometimes skin cancer surgery is the best way to combat it.
Located in Windermere FL, Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center is dedicated to providing patients with state-of-the-art treatment options for a wide variety of skin care conditions. Contact our practice today for more information.
To know if you’re a candidate for skin cancer surgery, you must first understand what type of skin cancer that you have. There are three types of skin cancer, each manifesting itself in a different way:
- Basal cell carcinoma. Forms in the upper layer of the epidermis. It looks like pearly and waxy bumps or flat, flesh-colored or brown lesions.
- Squamous cell carcinoma. Forms in the middle layer of the epidermis. It looks like firm, red nodules, or lesions with scaly, crusted surfaces.
- Melanoma. Forms in the deepest layer of the epidermis. It looks like large, brownish spots with darker speckles. Often begins to change in color, size, or feel as time passes.
If you have basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma skin cancer, skin cancer surgery is one of the most effective treatment options available. And in most cases, the surgery that needs to be performed is minor.
Before the procedure begins, some form of anesthesia is administered depending on the size and severity of your cancerous growth. Patients with small, shallow growths are operated under a local anesthetic, while patients with more severe cases are administered a general anesthetic. During the surgery itself, the affected area is completely removed. Removing the entire affected area ensures that the skin cancer will not spread to other areas of the body, or reappear after surgery is complete.
Even if you have already been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, you may not be a candidate for skin cancer surgery. A variety of other treatment options for dealing with basal cell and squamous cell cancers exist; it’s up to your dermatologist to help you decide which treatment option will be most effect for you.
If you’re looking for a skin cancer consultation in the Windermere, Bay Hill, Gotha, or Dr. Phillips areas, contact Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center today.