Article Surfing Archive

Most people are unable to treat skin cancer on time because they do not come to know that they have skin cancer. Certain outgrowths, moles and discoloration on the skin are taken as normal skin problems. When someone is confirmed about his or her illness related to skin cancer, the panic starts.

However, there is absolutely no need to panic about skin cancer as there are a lot of treatments available.

First and foremost, you need to speak to your skin doctor to determine the actual problem you are suffering from. Your physicians would like to take details regarding a lot of events related to you such as your age, medical history, extent of the disease, tolerance for a certain medication, therapy or procedure and your overall opinion for the problem that exists.

- There are many treatment options available for skin cancer. Here is a list of some great treatment options which will be considered:

a) Surgery

b) Radiation therapy

c) Electro chemo therapy

d) Immunotherapy

e) Hyperthermia

f) Photodynamic therapy

g) Nutritional therapy

h) Pain management

i) Naturopathy

j) Psycho-neuroimmunology

k) Spiritual support therapy

l) Biological therapy

Let us discuss the therapies mentioned above in detail.

a) Surgery

Surgery is the oldest existing form of treatment for skin cancer. The treatment eliminates the tumor as well as certain adjacent healthy tissues. This stops the cancer from spreading further. Some doctors also use skin peel such as the TCA skin peel that has been quite effective in treating skin cancer.

There are different types of surgeries used to treat skin cancer such as cryosurgery, electro desiccation and curettage, grafting, laser therapy, Mohs micrographic surgery, simple excision. Cryosurgery is used to freeze the tumor. This helps in exterminating cancer cells. Electro desiccation and curettage burns the lesion and eliminates it with a sharp instrument. Grafting is another type of surgery where a skin graft is used to replace damaged skin while removing the cancer.

The Mohs micrographic surgery is helpful in removing the cancer. A microscope is used to inspect the cancerous area in order to ensure that none of the cancer cells are present. The process of simple excision cutting the cancer from the skin and some of the healthy tissue round it.

b) Radiation therapy

This is a therapy that emits X-rays in order to exterminate cancer cells and also to shrink tumors. The therapy is conducted with the help of a radiation machine. It can be applied to any part of the body successfully to get good results.

c) Electro Chemo therapy

This therapy uses a combination of chemotherapy as well as electrical pulses in order to treat cancer.

d) Chemotherapy

This therapy for skin cancer treats by providing several cancer fighting drugs in the body. These drugs tend to exterminate cancer cells via hampering their development and regeneration.

e) Immunotherapy

It treats skin cancer via enhancing the immune system of the body with certain doses of tumor vaccines, interferon-Alfa and interleukins-2.

f) Photo dynamic therapy

It is a new cancer therapy. An injection of photofrin is given to the patient once the cancer cell is subject to a laser beam.