An excisional biopsy is both a diagnosis and a treatment. After being studied under a microscope if there are no cancer cells on the outside edges of the tissue then it has been totally removed. If there is cancer tissue along the edges the doctor will go back and remove a little more. Until the edges are clean. After being totally removed the wound will be stitched up if necessary. If the tissue from the biopsy is melanoma then further precautions will take place. .
Once the cancer is assessed then the doctor will continue with the removal of the lesion. He will either finish up with surgery, burn it away using electrodessication, radiation therapy, or cryotherapy to freeze it away. .
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Radiation therapy is used when electrodessication and surgery have failed. It is also used where people do not wish to have scars. One other reason for its use is if doctors aren't sure which way that the cancer is spreading. It is also used in areas that are hard to get to; such as corner of eye, creases nose and in the ear. .
Chemotherapy is usually used for solar keratoses. It is not usually used for other types of skin cancer. Laser surgery is not used for skin cancer even though it is used for other skin disorders. .
Basal Cell Carcinoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is by far the most common form of cancer; it makes up about 65% of the 400,000 nonmelanoma skin cancer cases each year. This type of cancer occurs most frequently in middle-aged and older people; almost all patients are forty-five years old or older. It has increased tremendously lately because of the popularity of suntanning.
This cancer if allowed to get to an advanced stage has what are known as rodent ulcers. This is a depressed area with an open ulcer or sore. This form of cancer is found mostly in men. This is probably because men work outside more. It is also very rare in blacks and people with darkly pigmented skin. .
People that are most susceptible to this form of cancer are people with skin types I and II.