What are the Different Types of Skin Cancer?
There are various types of skin cancer, and the three most common are:
- Basal Cell Carcinoma: This is the most common type of skin cancer, affecting more than 1 million people every year in the United States. It’s slow-growing and is the least dangerous kind of skin cancer.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma: This type of skin cancer is also common and usually not life-threatening, though it can be aggressive in some cases. Both basal and squamous cell carcinoma are nonmelanoma skin cancers that rarely spread to other parts of the body.
- Melanoma: Melanoma is much less common, but it's also more likely to spread to other areas of the body. It’s the most dangerous type of skin cancer, but if caught early, it can be treated successfully with minor procedures.
How is Skin Cancer Treated or Removed?
The goal of skin cancer treatment is to get rid of all of the cancer while leaving the smallest scar possible. Dr. Bingham considers the size and location of the skin cancer, as well as how long you’ve had it. He also takes into account the chance of scarring and your overall health.
Treatment may include excision of the skin cancer, which is when Dr. Bingham applies a local anesthetic and then cuts out the cancer, along with a little bit of the tissue around it. He then stitches the skin back together.
Other possible treatments include:
- Scraping the cancer cells away and then freezing the area to kill the rest
- Topical chemotherapeutic creams
- Radiation therapy
What is Mohs Surgery?
Mohs surgery is a specialized surgical technique to remove skin cancer. During the procedure, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are removed one by one and examined, until only cancer-free skin remains. With Mohs surgery, the surgeon -- whom Dr. Bingham will personally bring into the office -- can remove all of the cancer while doing minimal damage to the tissue around it. Mohs also has a very high cure rate.
If you need skin cancer surgery or are concerned about possible precancerous growths, schedule a consultation with Dr. Bingham today.
