Treatment
A malignant melanoma that's caught early as a 'local' cancer is removed surgically. Your prospects for a full recovery are excellent; nearly 95 percent of malignant melanomas are curable when they're superificial. But once the cancer has penetrated deeper (even just a couple of millimetres down or into your lymph nodes) the strategy changes dramatically. Melanoma accounts for only 4 percent of skin cancer diagnoses, it's responsible for 80 percent of skin cancer deaths. Cutting out the cancer is still crucial, but so is chemotherapy or radiation, which may slow down the tumour and ease discomfort. But once a melanoma has spread, 'cures' are rare; early detection and removal are key.
Although quite unusal, in some people a melanoma spontaneously disappears when the immune system mounts a strong resistance. Researchers witnessing this fierce stand are exploring the value of immunotherapy drugs, therapeutic vaccines and other strategies to stimulate the immune system of all patients with malignant melanoma. And doctors around the world are testing these techniques in clinical trials.
Procedures
The treatment method that's chosen for a particular cancerous lesion will depend on its biopsy and diagnosis.
For basal cell cancer. One of the most common approaches is surgical excision, which involves cutting out the abnormal growth and closing up the area with stitches. Laboratory analysis can then
determine whether the edges of the excised tissue (margins) are free of cancerous cells. For this reason, excision is slightly less likely to be linked to a recurrence than if the tissue is 'destoryed'.
Depending on the type of lesion and its location, your doctor may recommend curettage and electrodesiccation. During this technique, the cancer is scraped away with a sharp, ring-shaped instrument called a curette and an electric wand is used to cauterise the base of the growth. The procedure is only as effective as the operator's skill, to try to find a doctor who has done it hundreds of times. Three cycles of treatment are typically needed; you'll probably be left with a broad, pale scar.
For lesions, on the head and neck, where scarring can be a real cosmetic issue, Mohs micrographic surgery may be your best option. It's also valuable for skin cancers that are likely to reappear (or have already) despite conventional treatments, for lesions with scar tissue that have nondefined edges and for cancers that are growing fast or uncontrollably. Invented in the 1930s by Dr Fredic E Mohs, the procedure involves removing a tumour gradually, layer by layer; each section is processed in the doctor's surgery and examined on the spot under a microscope. Removal continues until a cancer-free layer of tissue is reached. Mohs offers the highest cure rates and the least tissue loss, an important consideration for cancers that have developed on the face (eyelids, lips, temples, nose, ears). Cure rates for basal cell centres treated with Mohs are as high as 99 percent. Be sure to find a dermatologist trained in this specialised type of surgery.
SOLAR KERATOSES
These precancerous growths, typically small, warty spots, are often called 'sun pots' (solar keratoses)
because they're directly related to sun damage. They can develop into squamous cell cancers. Your doctor will watch the area for suspicious changes, excise the lesion, freeze the growth or recommend the cream Efudex to stop the cell proliferation.
Multiple lesions have been successfully treated with photodynamic therapy. Laser resurfacing and chemical peels are less popular options.
PROMISING DEVELOPMENTS
For squamous cell cancer. The preferred treatment approach is simple excision with a scalpel, although some small, superificial lesions can be successfully treated with curetage and electro-desiccation. Another option is cryotherapy. But lesions on the lips, ears, nose or other sensitive facial areas, as well as aggressive tumours and lesions that have reappeared, are best treated with Mohs surgery. Although not yet widely available, a specialised technique called photodynamic therapy is often a good choice for treating multiple superificial basal cell cancers or a squamous cell cancer. The tehnique invloves applying or ingesting a chemical that causes skin cells to become sensitive to a precise colour of laser light. When applied, the laser instantly destroys only the cancerous cells.
>Can a squamous cell skin cancer spread to another part of my body?
It's unlikely but possible, 'Squamous' describes the type of cell associated with the tumour: flat and scaly. Cancers can develop in places that naturally contain squamous cells, including the lining of hallow organs such as the bladder and lung, and the passages of the respiratory, digestive and genito-urinary systems. But squamous cell skin cancer is by far the most common form.
>What can I put on my skin to minimise scarring after a lesion is excised?
Try breaking open a vitamin E capsule and spreading the oil over the wound once it has scabbed over. Gently massage in some oil every day. Doing this may help lessen the redness and also acclerate the healing. Applying silicate get may also help.
>Are there any natural methods I can use to treat malignant melanoma?
Several alternatives medicines are promoted for treating advanced melanoma and other cancers. These include cow and shark cartilage, Laetrile, coenzyme Q10 and mistletoe. None has proved effective or definitively safe, however.
A malignant melanoma that's caught early as a 'local' cancer is removed surgically. Your prospects for a full recovery are excellent; nearly 95 percent of malignant melanomas are curable when they're superificial. But once the cancer has penetrated deeper (even just a couple of millimetres down or into your lymph nodes) the strategy changes dramatically. Melanoma accounts for only 4 percent of skin cancer diagnoses, it's responsible for 80 percent of skin cancer deaths. Cutting out the cancer is still crucial, but so is chemotherapy or radiation, which may slow down the tumour and ease discomfort. But once a melanoma has spread, 'cures' are rare; early detection and removal are key.
Although quite unusal, in some people a melanoma spontaneously disappears when the immune system mounts a strong resistance. Researchers witnessing this fierce stand are exploring the value of immunotherapy drugs, therapeutic vaccines and other strategies to stimulate the immune system of all patients with malignant melanoma. And doctors around the world are testing these techniques in clinical trials.
Procedures
The treatment method that's chosen for a particular cancerous lesion will depend on its biopsy and diagnosis.
For basal cell cancer. One of the most common approaches is surgical excision, which involves cutting out the abnormal growth and closing up the area with stitches. Laboratory analysis can then
determine whether the edges of the excised tissue (margins) are free of cancerous cells. For this reason, excision is slightly less likely to be linked to a recurrence than if the tissue is 'destoryed'.
Depending on the type of lesion and its location, your doctor may recommend curettage and electrodesiccation. During this technique, the cancer is scraped away with a sharp, ring-shaped instrument called a curette and an electric wand is used to cauterise the base of the growth. The procedure is only as effective as the operator's skill, to try to find a doctor who has done it hundreds of times. Three cycles of treatment are typically needed; you'll probably be left with a broad, pale scar.
For lesions, on the head and neck, where scarring can be a real cosmetic issue, Mohs micrographic surgery may be your best option. It's also valuable for skin cancers that are likely to reappear (or have already) despite conventional treatments, for lesions with scar tissue that have nondefined edges and for cancers that are growing fast or uncontrollably. Invented in the 1930s by Dr Fredic E Mohs, the procedure involves removing a tumour gradually, layer by layer; each section is processed in the doctor's surgery and examined on the spot under a microscope. Removal continues until a cancer-free layer of tissue is reached. Mohs offers the highest cure rates and the least tissue loss, an important consideration for cancers that have developed on the face (eyelids, lips, temples, nose, ears). Cure rates for basal cell centres treated with Mohs are as high as 99 percent. Be sure to find a dermatologist trained in this specialised type of surgery.
SOLAR KERATOSES
These precancerous growths, typically small, warty spots, are often called 'sun pots' (solar keratoses)
because they're directly related to sun damage. They can develop into squamous cell cancers. Your doctor will watch the area for suspicious changes, excise the lesion, freeze the growth or recommend the cream Efudex to stop the cell proliferation.
Multiple lesions have been successfully treated with photodynamic therapy. Laser resurfacing and chemical peels are less popular options.
PROMISING DEVELOPMENTS
- Experimental drug treatments for malignant melanoma are showing some promise. There's great interest in thalidomine and other agents that block angiogenesis, a process by which cancer manfacturers new blood vessels for nourishment. Another treatment, gene therapy, creates changes in the melanoma cells themselves. (Cells are removed, subjected to genetic material that alters them slightly, and then infused back into the body.) The immune system is then prompted to kill the cancer.
Another option for small basical call cancers on the head and neck is cryosurgery. In this procedure, liquid nitrogen is applied to an abnormal growth to freeze and kill the malignant cells. The dead tissue falls off as the area thaws. You might feel slight pain and have swelling for a while, and sometimes more than one freezing is needed. Eventually a white scar may form in the area that has been treated. With laser therapy, a narrow, concentrated beam of light is used to remove or destroy cancer cells. This technique is used only for very superficial skin cancers.
For advanced basal cell cancer. If a basal cell cancer has grown significantly and is proving very difficult to treat, your doctor might recommend X-ray radiation. Some doctors recommend radiation following surgery to ensure that every last cancer cell is destroyed. Radiation is used slightly more often for squamous cell cancers than for basal cell growths because the former carry a great risk of serious illness at all stages.For squamous cell cancer. The preferred treatment approach is simple excision with a scalpel, although some small, superificial lesions can be successfully treated with curetage and electro-desiccation. Another option is cryotherapy. But lesions on the lips, ears, nose or other sensitive facial areas, as well as aggressive tumours and lesions that have reappeared, are best treated with Mohs surgery. Although not yet widely available, a specialised technique called photodynamic therapy is often a good choice for treating multiple superificial basal cell cancers or a squamous cell cancer. The tehnique invloves applying or ingesting a chemical that causes skin cells to become sensitive to a precise colour of laser light. When applied, the laser instantly destroys only the cancerous cells.
>Can a squamous cell skin cancer spread to another part of my body?
It's unlikely but possible, 'Squamous' describes the type of cell associated with the tumour: flat and scaly. Cancers can develop in places that naturally contain squamous cells, including the lining of hallow organs such as the bladder and lung, and the passages of the respiratory, digestive and genito-urinary systems. But squamous cell skin cancer is by far the most common form.
>What can I put on my skin to minimise scarring after a lesion is excised?
Try breaking open a vitamin E capsule and spreading the oil over the wound once it has scabbed over. Gently massage in some oil every day. Doing this may help lessen the redness and also acclerate the healing. Applying silicate get may also help.
>Are there any natural methods I can use to treat malignant melanoma?
Several alternatives medicines are promoted for treating advanced melanoma and other cancers. These include cow and shark cartilage, Laetrile, coenzyme Q10 and mistletoe. None has proved effective or definitively safe, however.
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