Basal Cell Carcinomas: Effective Options for Early and Advanced BCCs

If detected early, most basal cell carcinomas or BCCs are treatable. Basal or squamous cell skin cancers may require skin cancer surgery in Toowoomba. The surgical procedures often include electrodesiccation & curettage, laser surgery, radiation therapy, cryosurgery surgical, excising or Mohs surgery.

Prompt treatment is vital because it becomes more potentially dangerous as the tumour grows. Certain aggressive forms of basal cell carcinomas can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Unfortunately, if you have been diagnosed with a minor or early BCC, ideally, your doctor will suggest several useful surgical procedures. They are usually performed on an outpatient basis with a local anaesthetic. After this, most wounds heal naturally, leaving minimal scarring.

If you have queries regarding various options for treating basal cell carcinoma, you are in the right place. This guide will briefly discuss your options for early and advanced forms of BCC you can consider.

Electrodessication & Curettage 

This procedure is effective, with a cure rate of 95% for most small BCCs. The surgery involves scrapping off cancer using a curette (sharp instrument with a ring-shaped tip). It also uses heat or a chemical agent to banish remaining cancer cells.

Mohs Surgery 

Mohs surgery is performed in a single sitting, in stages. The surgeon will remove the visible tumour and a small amount of tissue around and beneath the tumour site. This is the most effective treatment for removing BCCs, hurting minimal healthy tissue while attaining the highest cure rate, up to 99% on tumours treated for the first time.

The surgery is used for BCCs that are large, aggressive and on tumours that have returned and the ones with distinctive edges.

Excisional Surgery 

For small, early BCCs that have not yet spread, excisional surgery is the only effective treatment. Cure rates of this surgery are above 95% in most areas. In this procedure, the surgeon removes the entire tumour with a safety margin of surrounding tissues and sends it to a laboratory for further analysis.

Radiation Therapy

You do not know whether the entire tumour was banished with radiation therapy. Since radiation therapy produces cure rates of only 90%, it is primarily used for BCCs hard to treat with surgery. For some cases of advanced BCC, those involving surrounding nerves, radiation may be used after surgery.

Laser Surgery 

Laser surgery is not FDA-approved for superficial BCCs yet; however, sometimes it is used as a secondary therapy, especially when other ineffective treatments.

In this treatment, the surgeon directs a beam of intense light at the tumour targeting superficial BCCs.

At Drayton Medical Centre, our doctors help detect, treat and remove cancer cells with effective procedures. Depending on your medical history, size and intensity of the tumour, our doctors will suggest the right treatment course. Contact us today if you have any queries about skin cancer and your options.