Therapy
used to treat Skin Cancer
Therapy
Chemotherapy
Treatment with drugs to kill cancer
cells is called chemotherapy.
Most anticancer drugs are injected into
a vein (IV) or a muscle. Some are given by mouth. Chemotherapy is
systemic treatment, meaning that the drugs flow through the
bloodstream to nearly every part of the body.
Often, patients who need many doses of IV chemotherapy receive the
drugs through a catheter (a thin flexible tube). One end of the
catheter is placed in a large vein in the chest. The other end is
outside the body or attached to a small device just under the skin.
Anticancer drugs are given through the catheter. This can make
chemotherapy more comfortable for the patient. Patients and their
families are shown how to care for the catheter and keep it clean.
For some types of cancer, doctors are studying whether it helps to
put anticancer drugs directly into the affected area.
Chemotherapy is generally given in cycles: a treatment period is
followed by a recovery period, then another treatment period, and so
on. Usually a patient has chemotherapy as an outpatient at the
hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home. However, depending on
which drugs are given and the patient's general health, the patient
may need to stay in the hospital for a short time.
Radiation therapy
Like surgery, radiation therapy is a local treatment; it affects
cancer cells only in the treated area. Radiation can come from a
machine (external radiation). It can also come from an implant (a
small container of radioactive material) placed directly into or near
the tumor (internal radiation). Some patients receive both kinds of
radiation therapy.
External radiation therapy is usually given on an outpatient basis in
a hospital or clinic 5 days a week for a number of weeks. Patients are
not radioactive during or after the treatment.
For internal radiation therapy, the patient stays in the hospital for
a few days. The implant may be temporary or permanent. Because the
level of radiation is highest during the hospital stay, patients may
not be able to have visitors or may have visitors only for a short
time. Once an implant is removed, there is no radioactivity in the
body. The amount of radiation in a permanent implant goes down to a
safe level before the patient leaves the hospital.
Curettage
and Electrodesiccation
Doctors
commonly use a type of surgery called curettage. After a local
anesthetics numbs the area, the cancer is scooped out with
a curette, an instrument with a sharp, spoon-shaped end. The
area is also treated by electrodesiccation. An electric current
from a special machine is used to control bleeding and kill
any cancer cells remaining around the edge of the wound. Most
patients develop a flat, white scar.
Mohs'
Surgery
Mohs'
technique is a special type of surgery used for skin cancer.
Its purpose is to remove all of the cancerous tissue and as
little of the healthy tissue as possible. It is especially
helpful when the doctor is not sure of the shape and depth
of the tumor. In addition, this method is used to remove large
tumors, those in hard-to-treat places, and cancers that have
recurred. The patient is given a local anesthetic, and the
cancer is shaved off one thin layer at a time. Each layer
is checked under a microscope until the entire tumor is removed.
The degree of scarring depends on the location and size of
the treated area. This method should be used only by doctors
who are specially trained in this type of surgery.
Cryosurgery
Extreme
cold may be used to treat precancerous skin conditions, such
as actinic keratosis, as well as certain small skin cancers.
In cryosurgery, liquid nitrogen is applied to the growth to
freeze and kill the abnormal cells. After the area thaws,
the dead tissue falls off. More than one freezing may be needed
to remove the growth completely. Cryosurgery usually does
not hurt, but patients may have pain and swelling after the
area thaws. A white scar may form in the treated area.
Laser
Therapy
Laser
therapy uses a narrow beam of light to remove or destroy cancer
cells. This approach is sometimes used for cancers that involve
only the outer layer of skin.
Grafting
Sometimes,
especially when a large cancer is removed, a skin graft is
needed to close the wound and reduce the amount of scarring.
For this procedure, the doctor takes a piece of healthy skin
from another part of the body to replace the skin that was
removed.
Clinical
Trials
In
clinical trials (research studies with cancer patients), doctors
are studying new treatments for skin cancer. For example,
they are exploring photodynamic therapy, a treatment that
destroys cancer cells with a combination of laser light and
drugs that make the cells sensitive to light. Biological therapy
(also called immunotherapy) is a form of treatment to improve
the body's natural ability to fight cancer. Interferon and
tumor necrosis factor are types of biological therapy under
study for skin cancer.
Followup
Care
Even
though most skin cancers are cured, the disease can recur
in the same place. Also, people who have been treated for
skin cancer have a higher-than-average risk of developing
a new cancer elsewhere on the skin. That's why it is so important
for them to continue to examine themselves regularly, to visit
their doctor for regular checkups, and to follow the doctor's
instructions on how to reduce the risk of developing skin
cancer again.
Top
Parenting Tips
Ayurveda
Burn Fat
Cure for Depression
Liver Cirrhosis
Breast Cancer
Stay
Fit Mesothelioma India
Doctors Hub
| 