|
Mohs surgery is a specialized technique of removing skin cancer that minimizes scarring and provides the highest cure rates. It is the ideal treatment for most non-melanoma skin cancers on the head and neck, those that have recurred from previous treatment or those that don't have well defined borders.
Once the skin cancer is removed, there are many options for reconstruction. These include skin flaps, skin grafts, and "primary" closure (where the wound edges are brought together "side-by-side"). In some circumstances, letting the wound heal by itself is the preferred option.
Other skin cancer options include simple excision, electrodesiccation and curettage ("scraping and burning"), radiation, cryotherapy ("freezing"), and topical medications. Dr. Spenceri can help you determine the best treatment option to meet your needs.
A pre-cancerous spot, also known as an actinic keratosis, can be treated in a number of ways, including freezing (cryotherapy), topical chemotherapy, topical immune system "boosters", or other destructive therapies.
A mole can be removed several different ways, including shave removal with recontouring of the surrounding skin or simply cutting out the mole and stitching the wound edges closed.
A cyst, which is a sac filled with skin cells, is best removed with excision. The goal with this treatment is to remove the entire cyst sac so as to minimize the chance of it growing back.
|
