After being diagnosed with skin cancer, you may have countless questions about how it happened, how serious it is, and how you can prevent it from recurring in the future. One question that your skin doctor can answer right away is how it can be treated. Find out your skin cancer treatment options when you visit Dr. David Allyn at Aesthetic Dermatology in Clermont, FL.

Skin Cancer Surgery

The two most common classes of skin cancer are carcinomas and melanomas. Carcinomas are less invasive and can often be treated with skin surgery to remove the abnormal cells. Types of skin cancer surgery include:

• Cutting the tumor away from the skin with a scalpel or by scraping cells.
• Curettage and electrodesiccation (burns away unwanted cells).
• Cryosurgery (freezes abnormal cells with liquid nitrogen).
• Laser therapy (uses light heat to eradicate cancerous cells).
• Mohs surgery (cells are viewed under a microscope to ensure removal of all cancerous cells while minimizing scarring).

Radiation for Skin Cancer

Basal cell carcinoma and melanoma, a more serious and invasive type of skin cancer, may require radiation therapy depending on the stage. This is a treatment that kills cancer cells using pulses of targeted radiation energy. It may require several appointments to completely eradicate the cancerous cells. For a skin cancer that is diagnosed as a melanoma, your Clermont, FL, doctor may also prescribe chemotherapy medication.

Immunotherapy for Skin Cancer

Immunotherapy is a treatment that teaches the immune system to work harder to eliminate cancerous cells and prevent their growth. This solution is most commonly prescribed in cases of basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. The doctor will prescribe medication, either oral or topical (such as Imiquimod, an anti-tumor cream), to target and prevent abnormal cellular growth.

Seek Early Treatment for Skin Cancer

When you have skin cancer diagnosed early, it increases the chance that you'll avoid the need for more aggressive courses of treatment. Call (352) 243-2544 today to schedule a skin exam with Dr. David Allyn at Aesthetic Dermatology in Clermont, FL, and to discuss your options to treat skin cancer if diagnosed.