How To Cure Skin Cancer ?

Skin cancer is common. Fortunately, it is good to treat it in a timely manner. But how does that actually work? Does chemo look at or cut off a suspicious place enough? All treatment methods in a row.

When skin cancer is discovered early enough, it can be treated well. Which treatment is chosen depends among other things on the type of skin cancer. Specialists look further at the shape, location and size of the skin tumor and take into account the physical condition and age of the patient.

Cosmetic effect

If there are multiple ways to cope with a tumor, doctors will not only look at the medical aspect, but also to the physician's experience with certain treatment, the patient's wishes and, for example, the cosmetic effect of the treatment, Especially if the skin tumor is in a visible place.

Radiation

Radiation, or radiotherapy , is a local treatment aimed at destroying the cancer cells while keeping the healthy cells as much as possible. It can be used in all tumors, but mainly occurs in relatively advanced tumors where an operation is not possible. Some patients with a squamous cell carcinoma receive radiation treatment after surgery, even if no sowing has been found.

A disadvantage of radiotherapy is that the healthy cells get a boost. This causes patients to experience side effects such as fatigue and skin reactions (red spots, discolourations).

Freezing

Freezing or cryotherapy is used in small and multiple superficial skin tumors and in actinic keratosis. Freezing of liquid nitrogen causes the cancerous cells to be killed. This occurs under local anesthesia. There is a freeze leaf and then a nightly wound that heals quite quickly. What rest is a small scar.

Chemotherapy

In case of superficial basal cell carcinomas and actinic keratosis, chemotherapy is sometimes applied by means of a cream. The cream contains a cell-killing and cell-killing substance that causes the cancer cells to die. You apply the cream three times a day to the skin twice a day. For example, use a cotton swab or plastic gloves. As a result of treatment, the skin deteriorates first. After one or two weeks improvement will occur.

Photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a type of light therapy. This treatment method is increasingly used, especially in actinic keratosis and basal cell carcinomas.

With PDT, a cream or gel that makes the tumor more sensitive to light applied to the skin. This photosensitive substance is absorbed by the cancer cells. Then the skin is exposed for a few minutes, usually with red light.

The exposure creates a chemical process in the cancer cells, which eventually dies. The exposure can sometimes cause some pain. If possible, the skin becomes anesthetized locally. After the first exposure, a further exposure of the skin is followed. Depending on the cream used, the second exposure occurs immediately during the first treatment or a week later. After each exposure, the skin is connected. The wound is healed after one to six weeks. PDT usually does not produce scars.

However, certain skin reactions may occur, such as (temporary) discoloration. This video shows you how a PDT treatment is going to work.

Immunotherapy

Actinic keratosis and superficial basal cell carcinomas can also be treated with a cream that stimulates the own immune system to clear the cancer cells. This is what we call immunotherapy. Also, bring the cream for a couple of weeks. The cream causes redness of the skin and sometimes the skin breaks down. This heals in two to six weeks.

Operation

In an operation, the dermatologist or surgeon removes the tumor as a whole. This is often done with melanomas . Usually it occurs under anesthesia of the site around the tumor. A hospitalization is rarely necessary. Narcosis may be necessary if the tumor is quite large or deep ingrown.

Skin transplantation

The specialist may not be able to close the operation wound immediately because he has to remove a large amount of skin. Then a reconstruction or skin transplant is needed. For places in the face, the doctor usually uses skin from another spot in the face or neck. For skin transplantation in other places on the body, a lot of skin is removed from the groin.

A pathologist checks after surgery or the malignant tissue as a whole has been removed. Sometimes a second operation is necessary to completely remove the tumor, especially if there appears to be sowing.

Mohtechniek

A special operation is the mohtechniek. The specialist removes the tumor scarcely. The specialist or pathologist then investigates this tissue directly in the laboratory. If it turns out that the tumor has not yet been completely removed, the specialist will cut an additional strip of skin. This will be re-examined immediately. In this way the wound remains as small as possible. The mohtechniek is mainly used in places where the specialist has little room to cut the tumor well, for example in the face.

Road burns

Finally, skin tumors may, like warts, be "burned away" once. This is called coagulation or electrocoagulation. The place to be treated is first anesthetized locally.