Skin Cancer Treatment Options
Dec 05, 2022
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), skin cancer will affect one in five Americans throughout their lifetime. While it can be an unsightly problem, it can also progress, spread, and cause complications. At Shady Grove Dermatology, serving Rockville, MD, and the surrounding region, Dr. Josef Yeager, Dr. Caroline Yeager, Dr. Sanders Berk, and Dr. John DiGiovanna offer a variety of treatments.
During Moh's surgery, a dermatologist from our staff will remove skin cancer by damaging as little of the surrounding tissue as possible. With this method, your surgeon will remove thin layers of the cancerous tissue, one layer at a time.
When you have this, your surgeon will use a curette to scrape the tumor. The desiccation aspect consists of your practitioner using electrodesiccation to burn the nearby tissue. Ultimately, this cauterizes the area to prevent certain complications and enhance the success rate.
Cryosurgery is a minimally invasive skin cancer removal technique a Rockville, MD, dermatologist from our practice can perform. It's comprised of using liquid nitrogen to freeze and remove the malignancy.
For some types of skin cancer, particularly when we catch them in the early stages, we may be able to treat them using a medicated cream applied to your skin. They trigger your immune system to fight off the cancer. One example of this treatment is imiquimod, though various others exist.
Surgical excision is an option that requires a surgeon to remove the cancer using a scalpel. Once removed, the surgeon will place stitches in the area so it heals.
If you have skin cancer that's difficult to treat using other methods or is in a location where it's harder to reach with other treatments, our surgeon may refer you for radiation therapy. This is also beneficial for patients who have recurring skin cancer.
If you have an advanced case of melanoma, our practitioner may refer you to an oncologist who'll administer chemotherapy. This comes in either pill form or as an intravenous infusion. This medication is meant to kill the cancer cells.
Immunotherapy is another option for people with advanced melanoma. It stimulates the immune system to fight the cancer. Our surgeon will refer you to a specialist who may prescribe this treatment.
Targeted therapy is an option given by oncologists for advanced melanoma. It can target different mutations and proteins to shrink the cancer and/or slow its progression.
Shady Grove Dermatology, serving Rockville, MD, has four dermatologists, Dr. Yeager, Dr. Yeager, Dr. Berk, and Dr. DiGiovanna. They can perform various skin cancer treatments and refer you for others.
Call us today at (240) 246-7417.