Treatment of Skin Cancer Patient Information

TREATMENT OPTION OVERVIEW

There are treatments for all patients with skin cancer. Three kinds of treatments are used:

• surgery (taking out the cancer)
• chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells)
• radiation therapy (using x-rays to kill cancer cells)

Surgery is the most common treatment of skin cancer. A doctor may remove the cancer using one of the following:

• Electrodesiccation and curettage is surgery that uses an electric current to dehydrate the tumor (electrodesiccation), then uses a specialized surgical tool (curet) to remove the tumor.
• Cryosurgery freezes the tumor and kills it.
• Simple excision cuts the cancer from the skin along with some of the healthy tissue around it.
• Micrographic surgery removes the cancer and as little normal tissue as possible. During this surgery, the doctor removes the cancer and then uses a microscope to look at the cancerous area to make sure no cancer cells remain.
• Laser therapy uses a highly focused beam of light that destroys only the cancer cells.

Radiation therapy uses x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy for skin cancer comes from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy).

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. In treating skin cancer, chemotherapy is often given as a cream or lotion placed on the skin to kill cancer cells (topical chemotherapy). Chemotherapy may also be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy given in this way is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the skin. Systemic chemotherapy is being tested in clinical trials.

Biological therapy (using the body's immune system to fight cancer) is being tested in clinical trials. Biological therapy tries to get the body to fight cancer. It uses materials made by the body or made in a laboratory to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against disease. Biological therapy is sometimes called biological response modifier (BRM) therapy or immunotherapy.

Photodynamic therapy uses a certain type of light and a special chemical to kill cancer cells.

Treatment by type

Treatment of skin cancer depends on the type and stage of the disease, and the patient's age and overall health.

Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the most up-to-date information. Clinical trials are ongoing in some parts of the country for patients with skin cancer. To learn more about clinical trials, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.

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