electrochemotherapy> Skin cancer treatment

Skin Cancer Treatment:

Skin Cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin), so a tumour is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers detectable in the early stages. There are three common types of skin cancer, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises. Cancer caused by UV exposure may be prevented by avoiding exposure to sunlight or other UV sources, and wearing sun-protective clothes. The use of sunscreen is recommended by medical organisations as a measure that helps to protect against skin cancer

Signs and symptoms:
There are a variety of different skin cancer symptoms. These include crabs or changes in the skin that do not heal, ulcers in the skin, discoloration, and changes in existing moles.

Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the head, neck or shoulders. Sometimes small blood vessels can be seen within the tumour. Crusting and bleeding in the centre of the tumour frequently develops. It is often mistaken for a cut that does not heal.
Squamous cell carcinoma is commonly a red, scaling, thickened patch on sun-exposed skin. Ulceration and bleeding may occur. When SCC is not treated, it may develop into a large mass.

Most melanomas are brown to black looking lesions. Signs that might indicate a malignant melanoma include change in size, shape, colour or elevation of a mole. The appearance of a new mole during adulthood, or new pain, itching, ulceration or bleeding.

Skin Cancer Treatment:
Most skin cancers can be treated by removal of the lesion, making sure that the edges (margins) are free of the tumour cells. These excisions provide the best cure for both early and high-risk disease. For low risk disease, skin cancer treatments such as radiation therapy and cryotherapy (freezing the cancer off) can provide adequate control of the disease, both, however, have lower overall cure rates than surgery.

Moh’s micrographic surgery is a skin cancer treatment technique used to remove the cancer with the least amount of surrounding tissue and the edges are checked immediately to see if the tumour is found. This provides the opportunity to remove the least amount of tissue and provide the best cosmetically favourable results. This is especially important for areas where excess skin is limited, such as the face. Cure rates are equivalent to wide excision. Special training is required to perform this technique. In the case of disease that has spread (metastasized), further surgical or chemotherapy skin cancer treatment may be required.

Electrochemotherapy is a new type of skin cancer treatment in the UK. It is available to patients with advancing or spreading cancer involving the skin surface. It has been used very successfully in the treatment of painful skin cancer and bleeding cancer lesions. It allows a very low and safe dose of chemotherapy agents to be injected directly into the skin tumours and over 85% of tumours respond successfully regardless of the tumour type. This type of skin cancer treatment can bring enormous reduction in pain and discomfort to skin cancer patients without the normal side effects of chemotherapy drugs.