treatment options for skin cancer

7/30/2019 Treatment Options for Skin Cancer

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Treatment Options For

Skin Cancer
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Skin cancer is a result of too much exposure to the sun. While

skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, They are both

preventable and treatable. There are mainly two types of skin

cancer.

1. Basal cell skin cancer

2. Squamous cell skin cancers

3. Melanomas
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BASAL CELL SKIN CANCERS

1. The most common type of skin cancer

2. It usually appears as fleshy, pearl-like bumps or

red patches on the skin

3. Mostly found on the neck, head, and other areas

exposed to sunlight or radiation

4. basal cell carcinomas do not usually spread
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SQUAMOUS CELL SKIN CANCER

1. Tumors grow on the outer layer of the skin as

non-healing, red scaly patches or firm bumps

2. Fair skinned individuals are generally more prone

to developing squamous cell skin cancer

3. If not treated on time, these cancers can spread

internally and cause serious damage to the

underlying tissues and organs.
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MELANOMAS

1. Melanoma is the most

dangerous type of skin cancer

which requires immediate

treatment.

2. This cancer starts in a certain

type of skin cell called

melanin.

3. They can occur in people of

all ages.4. Early detection of melanoma

is the key to complete cure.
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Squamous cell and basal cell

carcinomas are treated using thefollowing techniques:

1. Surgery2. Mohs micrographic surgery

3. Cryosurgery

4. Curettage and electrodessication

5. Radiation

6. Photodynamic therapy

7. Laser surgery
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Surgery: The tumor cells alongwith some healthy, nearby tissue

are removed.

Mohs micrographic surgery:

This surgery destroys onlyminimal healthy tissue. In a mohssurgery, the specialists at cancer

treatment Philadelphia centersremove the tumor layer by layer

and examine it under amicroscope. The process isrepeated until no cancer cells are

left.
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Cryosurgery:The cancer cells are first made to freeze and

then destroyed using liquid nitrogen. Cryosurgery is usuallyrecommended for patients who are intolerant to anesthesia or

have bleeding disorders.

Curettage and electrodessication: The cancer cells are scrapedoff using special equipment called the curette. An

electrocautery needle is then used to kill any remaining cancer

cells and seal off bleeding.

Radiation: High energy radiation such as X-rays and gamma rays

are focused on the area of cancer to kill the abnormal cells.
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Photodynamic therapy: During a photodynamic therapy, a

photo sensitive agent is first applied to the affected area. Theskin is then exposed to a strong light and the photo sensitive

agents are activated to kill the cancer cells.

Laser surgery: YAG lasers or carbon dioxide lasers are used to killthe cancer cells. Laser surgery is an experimental type of

treatment and is usually recommended only when all other

types of treatment fail.
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Melanoma are treated using

the following techniques:

1. Surgery2. Radiation therapy

3. Chemotherapy

4. Immunotherapy
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Surgery: Surgery is often the first option to remove all stages of

melanomas and those that are detected early can be treated

using surgery alone. If the melanoma has spread to the nearby

lymph nodes, then those nodes are also removed during surgery.

Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses X-rays or other high

energy radiation to kill the cancer cells and shrink tumors. The

oncologists specializing in cancer treatment Philadelphia usually

recommend radiation therapy for patients with advanced stages

of the disease that has spread to the bones, brain or otherorgans.
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Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses a variety of anticancer

drugs to kill the cancer. The treatment is usually done in cycles

alternating between a treatment period and a recovery period.

Chemotherapy is usually recommended for patients whose

melanoma has spread to several lymph nodes or other organs.

Immunotherapy: The immune system releases special proteins

to fight against infection and cancer. This type of treatment uses

the bodys natural immune system to fight against the cancer

cells.
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treatment options for skin cancer

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