Medical Questions » Skin Cancer Questions » Question No. 905
| Question: | My GP checked over my skin yesterday when I went to see him about my blood pressure, and said that I had a lot of skin cancers that would need to be treated, and he wants me to make a long appointment so that he can have time to treat them. I am very worried. How are skin cancers treated? Can they be cured? |
| Answer: | There are many sun-induced skin sores which are not the nasty cancerous type, but there are also some which can spread rapidly enough to eventually kill the unfortunate owner of the spot!
Most of them can be very easily removed, and if the doctor is sure of the diagnosis he may bum the cancer off with a diathermy machine, or freeze it off with liquid nitrogen. Both methods are very effective in early stages of the disease.
If the skin cancer has spread, it is necessary to cut out the spot and the surrounding tissue to prevent it from spreading further. Some people are unlucky enough to have areas such as the nose or ears involved, and in severe cases these can be completely eaten away by the cancer cells.
It is often difficult for doctors to be absolutely certain about a spot when examined on the patient, and so if there is any doubt at all, the spot is cut out. This can be done very easily in a general practitioner' s surgery. The lesion is then sent to a pathologist, who will examine it futther under a microscope to make the exact diagnosis.
The vast majority of skin cancers can be cured, but early tteatment is vital.
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