Skin Cancer Treatment

Skin Cancer Types & Stages

There are several types of skin cancer. The most common types are:

• Melanoma – This is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and can grow and spread quickly to other parts of the body. It starts in the melanocytes, which are cells that make pigment (melanin) that gives skin its color.
• Basal cell carcinoma – This is the most common type of skin cancer. It is caused by DNA damage in the top layer of the skin (the basal cells of the epidermis).
• Squamous cell carcinoma – This is the second most common type of skin cancer. It is a growth of cancerous cells that starts in the middle and outer layers of the skin (squamous cells).

If you receive a skin cancer diagnosis, your oncologist will determine the stage to understand the size, location and metastasis (spread) of your cancer. Cancer staging helps your health care team know what areas of the body are affected and in need of treatment:

• Stage 0 – Cancer is only in the top layer of the skin. It has not spread elsewhere.
• Stage 1 – Cancer is in the top and middle layers of the skin.
• Stage 2 – Cancer is in the top and middle layers of the skin and has moved into the nerves or deeper layers of the skin.
• Stage 3 – Cancer has spread into the lymph nodes.
• Stage 4 – Cancer has spread to other parts of the body into organs such as the liver, lungs or brain.

Precise Skin Cancer Treatment & Removal

We are committed to superior outcomes, from screening and diagnosis, through treatment and recovery. The board-certified dermatologists at Houston Methodist are specially trained with expertise in the full spectrum of cancers of the skin.

If you receive a skin cancer diagnosis, your oncology care team tailors your specific treatment plan to the unique characteristics of your type and stage of skin cancer. We also consider your individual needs and lifestyle.

Your care team may use one or more of the methods below to treat and manage your cancer.

Surgical Removal

Removal with surgery is the most common treatment for most melanomas and other skin cancers, and this approach usually cures early-stage disease. Surgical options include:

• Wide excision – a minor surgery that involves cutting out the cancer, as well as a small amount of non-cancerous skin at the edges
• Lymph node dissection – removes the nearby lymph nodes if the cancer has spread
• Surgery for metastatic melanoma – used for melanomas that have spread from the skin to distant organs, such as the lungs or brain

For most cases of thin basal cell, squamous cell and early-stage melanoma, surgical removal with a wide excision is performed with a curative intent to eradicate the cancer and restore your health.

Reconstructive Surgery

In some cases, reconstructive surgery can restore the form and function of areas affected by skin cancer or certain skin cancer treatments. When possible, our expert reconstructive surgeons use minimally invasive surgical techniques, resulting in fewer complications and faster recovery.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses medications to stimulate your immune system to more effectively recognize and destroy skin cancer cells. Numerous types of immunotherapies can be used to treat skin cancer, either alone or in combination with other treatments.

Some immunotherapy treatments are given as intravenous infusions, while others are injected directly into the tumor or applied as a cream. With all immunotherapy treatments, your care team will discuss the rationale for this approach and its potential side effects.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is a newer treatment for skin cancer. It uses drugs that specifically recognize and target cancer cells to stop their growth without harming normal cells. Targeted therapeutic drugs often pinpoint specific mutations or proteins that are involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells.

Targeted therapies used to treat skin cancer include several medications that target two genes:

• BRAF gene – Around half of all melanomas contain a mutation in the BRAF gene.
• C-KIT gene – A small percentage of melanoma tumors have mutations in the C-KIT gene.

Targeted therapy can be taken orally. Your doctor may use targeted therapy as an initial treatment or combined with other treatments. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by killing them or halting cell division and growth. This treatment is typically administered orally (by mouth) or intravenously (with an IV).

It can be used to treat advanced melanoma, but immunotherapy and targeted therapy are the most preferred methods. Chemotherapy is usually not as effective in treating melanoma as it is in treating other types of cancer, but it may relieve symptoms or extend survival for some patients.

If chemotherapy is part of your treatment plan, your care team will discuss the medications, any side effects and the ways in which you and your family will be supported during your treatment.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing in a targeted, specific area. Radiation works by targeting abnormal cells, damaging their DNA so they are unable to reproduce.

Many types of radiation can be used to treat skin cancer, depending on the size and location of the cancer. The timing of radiation can vary:

• after surgery to reduce the chance that the cancer will recur
• in the event of recurrence, either in the skin or lymph nodes
• to relieve symptoms for a melanoma that has spread, especially to the brain or bones