Regularly checking your skin and getting those annual skin screenings are important as they're the first step in preventing and catching skin cancer at an early stage. If you are diagnosed with skin cancer, the doctors have many surgical and non-surgical options that can help.
What Are Your Surgical Options?
The best type of surgery for skin cancer depends on which type you have. There are three main types of skin cancer — melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. After making a diagnosis by way of a biopsy, if your doctors have detected melanoma, surgery may involve extraction removal. Some patients may also need radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
However, with basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, you have similar surgical options to remove skin cancer. Your dermatologist may use cryosurgery, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze off the tumor. They may also use a small metal instrument called a curate to scrape out the tumor and kill the remaining cancer cells by using an electrical current on the tissue.
Mohs surgery is another preferred method when there is a large skin cancer tumor. This technique involves the precise removal of thin cancerous tissue that is immediately analyzed under a microscope. The surgeon will continue to remove cancerous tissue with microscopic observation until there are no signs of skin cancer left. As a result, patients are left with more healthy skin and usually have a 99% success rate. Doctors may also use excision, in which they simply remove a tumor and stitch the wound back up.
What Is Recovery Like?
Your overall health and the type of surgery you had all affect what your post-skin cancer surgery recovery will be like. Keep your wound clean and dry regardless of what type of surgery you've had. If you experience pain or discomfort, over-the-counter pain medication can help. You may need to briefly limit certain activities for a few days or weeks to avoid any stitches or sutures from opening up.
Your doctor should remove stitches within the first two weeks, and you can expect some follow-up visits with your dermatologist to see how well your skin is healing. Be very cautious about sun exposure. Wear protective clothing with long sleeves and sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to avoid UV ray damage.