What treatment options are available for skin cancers?
There are multiple types of skin cancer treatments ranging from the gold-standard, Mohs micrographic surgery, through to topical creams and light treatments. Skin cancers differ by their type, site, size and depth and these differences influence the choice of different treatment methods. Your specialist will assess the cure rate against the risk of scarring and downtime to help choose the treatment best for each skin cancer.
Dermatologic Surgery
Most skin cancers are best treated with surgery where possible. It has a high cure rate and with excellent surgery, the scar and downtime are usually minimal. We are dedicated to providing the finest skin surgery available.
Mohs Surgery
Mohs micrographic surgery is the gold-standard in dermatologic and plastic surgery for treatment of most skin cancers. It has a cure rate of 99% and is recommended especially for treatment of cancers in cosmetically important areas such as the face.
Photodynamic Therapy
This involves application of a sensitising cream for 3 hours followed by exposure to a special red light for 8 minutes. It is the best available non-surgical treatment for skin cancers but is only appropriate for certain superficial and low-grade lesions.
Topical Immunotherapy
This involves daily application for several weeks of a cream to help the body’s own immune system destroy the skin cancer. It is only appropriate for certain superficial and low-grade lesions.
Curettage and Cautery
This technique involves scraping the skin cancer away after anaesthetizing the skin. No sutures are required and the lesion heals as a deep graze would. It is usually only appropriate for certain superficial skin cancers in particular sites.
