First Steps in Skin Cancer Treatment

From a very young age both males and females are told about staying out in the sun too long, sun bathing, and tanning all summer long. The tales of warning have little effect until the skin begins to change. Yes, there are sunscreen lotions, protective clothing, and aloe for those mishaps during the warmer months. But what should anyone do with a growth or a patch that seems to have appeared out of nowhere? It is equally as important with skin as it is with the internal body to receive diagnosis early enough to receive effective treatment. This is where your trusted dermatologist comes to the rescue with proper diagnosis and procedure for removal. The top three skin cancer treatments include surgery removal, chemotherapy, radiation, and photodynamic therapy along with a list of other actions that involve clinical trials. But first you must be diagnosed.

Skin cancer diagnosis begins with diligent dermas inspection on a regular basis. Once you suspect that you may have an additional growth that doesn’t quite look like a mole or birth mark, and it resembles the skin cancer photos you’ve seen on professional disease treatment websites, it is time to see your dermatologist for confirmation. Not all growths are dangerous, so your doctor or nurse will begin by determining if your medical history predisposes you to a diagnosis. Then he or she will examine the area of the growth and seek out precursors for necessary caution. Apart from the physical examination results, he or she will include one of several types of biopsy that remove a portion of the growth in order to its origin to be determine in laboratory. If melanoma is deduced from this process, you will undergo further testing. The additional testing will provide your specific case with stage of progression. It determines the degree to which the tumor or disease has spread in your skin or within your body. Your stage of melanoma determines the type of treatment your doctor will offer to you.

Regardless of the more aggressive types of therapy your doctor suggests for the severity or reoccurrence of your skin cancer, removal will be a part of treatment. There are two major types of abnormal tissue removal. The National Cancer institute provides excellent information and graphics on just how your doctor will treat that physical tumor. The abnormal tissue as well as some of the surrounding tissue will gradually be cut, shaved, or scooped out of or off of your body so that the area can be treated against further growths. Another option is to freeze the tumor in a method called cryosurgery. The treatments also utilize similar methods of cosmetic procedures with laser surgery and dermabrasion to also remove the affected area in layers.

When there is a predisposition to this disease in one’s family extra precautions can go a long way in preventing anxiety, illness, or pain. The trauma of skin cancer can be avoided with diligent care throughout every season. If someone doesn’t know what to do, but it runs in their family, their local dermatologist and the national institute for this disease has a website on how you can have a care free summer, with sensitive skin.