If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer you may well be uncertain about the treatment you will receive as, even if you have already discussed your treatment with your physician, you may still be reeling from all the technical and medical jargon that was thrown at you. It is also possible that you may not have taken in the information because of the shock following the diagnosis.
Detailed below therefore is a brief description of some of the treatments that may be used when treating skin cancer.
The precise treatment that you will receive is going to depend upon a number of different things which include your age and whether any cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Your treatment could include surgery in which your surgeon could decide to remove the cancerous region itself together with some of the skin from the surrounding area. The amount of normal skin removed will be dependent upon the particular type of cancer found and how deep it is. Usually an area of about one to two centimeters of skin from the surrounding area is removed.
Some types of skin cancer can be treated by freezing using a substance called liquid nitrogen or treated with drugs like Imiquimod which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use on superficial basal cell carcinoma.
A more extensive type of surgery might be needed if a lymph node is found to contain cancer cells following a biopsy of a suspect area. This technique removes lymph nodes close to the cancer along with affected skin and is frequently followed up with radiotherapy.
Another recent development for skin cancer treatment is what is known as immunotherapy cancer vaccination although research into this form of treatment is still being conducted and it is not yet widely available. You may be given chemotherapy if the cancer has spread into other areas.
Although there is no specific preventative regime for skin cancer there are various things that you can do to minimize your risk of developing the problem and by far and away the most important yet frequently ignored is to reduce your skin's exposure to the sun.
All of us, no matter what the type or color of skin you have should make use of a sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15. It is also a good idea to wear sufficient clothing and remain in the shade as much as possible, particularly between 11am and 3pm when the sun's rays are at their strongest. By the same token, it is not advisable to make use of sunlamps and sun beds as these too give off harmful rays.
Lastly, keep an eye on your skin and pay special attention to any alterations to moles and lesions. If you notice any changes then you ought to visit your physician as quickly as you can so that treatment can be given - 15252
Detailed below therefore is a brief description of some of the treatments that may be used when treating skin cancer.
The precise treatment that you will receive is going to depend upon a number of different things which include your age and whether any cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Your treatment could include surgery in which your surgeon could decide to remove the cancerous region itself together with some of the skin from the surrounding area. The amount of normal skin removed will be dependent upon the particular type of cancer found and how deep it is. Usually an area of about one to two centimeters of skin from the surrounding area is removed.
Some types of skin cancer can be treated by freezing using a substance called liquid nitrogen or treated with drugs like Imiquimod which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use on superficial basal cell carcinoma.
A more extensive type of surgery might be needed if a lymph node is found to contain cancer cells following a biopsy of a suspect area. This technique removes lymph nodes close to the cancer along with affected skin and is frequently followed up with radiotherapy.
Another recent development for skin cancer treatment is what is known as immunotherapy cancer vaccination although research into this form of treatment is still being conducted and it is not yet widely available. You may be given chemotherapy if the cancer has spread into other areas.
Although there is no specific preventative regime for skin cancer there are various things that you can do to minimize your risk of developing the problem and by far and away the most important yet frequently ignored is to reduce your skin's exposure to the sun.
All of us, no matter what the type or color of skin you have should make use of a sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15. It is also a good idea to wear sufficient clothing and remain in the shade as much as possible, particularly between 11am and 3pm when the sun's rays are at their strongest. By the same token, it is not advisable to make use of sunlamps and sun beds as these too give off harmful rays.
Lastly, keep an eye on your skin and pay special attention to any alterations to moles and lesions. If you notice any changes then you ought to visit your physician as quickly as you can so that treatment can be given - 15252
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