The treatment for all types of skin cancer is, unfortunately, not the same. An individualized approach is necessary to treat each type of skin cancer.
Some serious forms of skin cancer warrant a more invasive approach in which the malignant area must be removed surgically.
Board certified dermatologist Dr. Jamie McGinness and Jackie McGinness, FNP (Nurse Practitioner) provide dermatology treatments to patients in Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and surrounding communities.
Surgical Dermatology Treatments for Skin Cancer
Mohs Micrographic Surgery: The Gold Standard in Skin Cancer Treatment
Mohs micrographic surgery is a cutting-edge, targeted, and effective technique to surgically eliminate various types of skin cancer while causing minimal damage to the surrounding normal tissue.
This technique was originally developed more than 80 years ago, yet it is still widely considered as the most effective and successful treatment for Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCCs) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCCs).
Mohs surgery has an unrivalled cure rate of up to 99 percent for skin cancer, which is significantly higher than other accepted cancer treatment techniques.
Excision Surgery: Surgical Removal of Growths and Lesions
While many skin growths may be harmless, they can also be unappealing, or even cause pain or other functional impediments. With some growths, such as malignant melanoma, it is of utmost importance to remove them due to the risk of metastasis and invasion of vital organs.
If the patient is concerned about the removal of a malignant lesion, or merely has a benign growth that is cosmetically unattractive or causes them discomfort, surgical removal is usually a definitive and successful treatment.
The patient may consider having a growth or lesion surgically removed, or “excised.” A majority of abnormal skin lesions can be removed using only local anesthesia during an in-office procedure.
Full excision surgery removes the tumor in its entirety. This procedure is often used for growths that have penetrated into the deeper layers of the dermis or cancerous tumors, such as melanomas. Depending on the location and depth of the tumor, the procedure may be performed using local anesthesia.
In the full excision procedure, the surgeon will cut an elliptical incision around the lesion, penetrating the fatty tissue underneath the growth to completely excise it.
Reconstructive Surgery for Restoration
Patients who undergo growth removal may consider reconstructive surgery to restore the aesthetic appearance and functional structures that may have been compromised during cancerous and non-cancerous growth removal.
A Slight Possibility
Advanced reconstruction may be necessary depending on the location and depth of the growth that has been excised, the amount of skin removed to ensure complete elimination, or lack of available surrounding skin (such as in sites around the ear or nose) to close the defect.
Skin grafting, flaps, or other reconstructive techniques may be used in such cases to restore the natural appearance of the area.
One of the below mentioned reconstructive surgery options will usually be undertaken, depending on the depth, size, and location of the surgical defect:
- Allowing the wound to heal by itself or second intention healing.
- Sealing the wound in a side-by-side manner using stitches.
- Using a flap (skin surrounding the wound) or a skin graft (skin sourced from another site on the body) to seal the defect.
Board certified dermatologist Dr. Jamie McGinness and Jackie McGinness, FNP (Nurse Practitioner) receive patients from Shiloh, IL; St. Louis, MO, and nearby areas for dermatology treatments.
If you would like to learn more about procedures and treatments at Metro East Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center by Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Jamie L. McGinness please contact us here or call (618) 622-SKIN (7546)
Taking new patients in and around the greater St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois area: East St. Louis Missouri, Shiloh Illinois, Belleville, Millstadt, Saint Clair County, Madison County and more.