Skin cancer treatment will depend on several factors. The type of tumor, size, location, previous treatments, and patient factors all play into the type of treatment which must be undertaken. For melanoma tumors, aggressive treatment is necessary and well defined through national standards. For basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers, treatment is more reliant on the location of the tumor, size, and patient preference. Cryotherapy (freezing the cancer), topical medications which burn the tumor, and surgical excision are all options which should be discussed with the patient.

If surgical excision is the treatment of choice, for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas in sensitive areas such as the face, eyes, ears, nose, and lips, Mohs micrographic surgery may be necessary. Mohs surgery is named after Dr. Frederic Mohs, an early 20th century surgeon who developed a special technique of examining pathologic skin specimens. The procedures allows for preservation of as much normal tissue as possible.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure with skin cancer. Use of appropriate sunscreens, excess sun avoidance, and tanning avoidance are good ways to help prevent skin cancers from forming. These tumors don’t generally appear overnight and are the result of a lifetime’s worth of sun exposure and sometimes sun abuse.

For patients at high risk of skin cancer, yearly head to toe skin checks with a primary care physician or dermatologist are necessary to help catch tumors at an early stage. The earlier the tumors are caught, the easier they are to treat.

For more information about lip enhancement or torn earlobe repair, visit Dr. Verret on the web or call for a consultation 972.608.0100.