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Tests & Procedures

What are the treatments for skin cancer?

Specific treatment for skin cancer will be determined by your child's physician based on:

Your child's overall health and medical history
Extent and type of the disease
Your child's tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
Expectations for the course of the disease
Your opinion or preference

There are several kinds of treatments for skin cancer:

Surgery
Surgery is a common treatment for skin cancer. It is used in most treated cases. Some types of skin cancer growths can be removed very easily and require only very minor surgery, while others may require a more extensive surgical procedure. Surgery may include the following procedures:
- Cryosurgery
  Using liquid nitrogen, cryosurgery uses an instrument that sprays the liquid onto the skin, freezing and destroying the tissue.
- Curettage and electrodesiccation
  This common type of surgery involves scraping away skin tissue with a curette (a sharp surgical instrument shaped like a spoon), followed by cauterizing the wound with an electrosurgical unit.
- Excision
  A scalpel (sharp surgical instrument) may be used to excise (cut out) and remove the growth. The wound is usually stitched or held closed with skin clips (staples).
- Mohs' microscopically controlled surgery
  This type of surgery involves excising (cutting out) a cancer, layer by layer. Each piece of excised tissue is examined under a microscope. Tissue is progressively removed until no tumor cells are seen. The goal of this type of surgery is to remove all of the malignant cells and as little normal tissue as possible. It is often used with recurring tumors (those that come back after treatment).
Laser therapy
Laser surgery uses a narrow beam of light to remove cancer cells, and is often used with tumors located on the outer layer of skin.
Radiation therapy
X-rays are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation is not a common treatment for skin cancer, but it may be used for skin cancer in areas where surgery could be difficult or leave a bad scar.
Other types of treatment include the following:
- Chemotherapy
  Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
  - Topical chemotherapy - chemotherapy given as a cream or lotion placed right on the skin to kill cancer cells.
  - Systemic chemotherapy - chemotherapy administered orally (by mouth) or intravenously (IV or into a vein).
- Immunotherapy
  Immunotherapy treatment for melanoma is a complex type of treatment involving various approaches to boost the body's own immune system, helping it to slow the growth of the cancer.