Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

How is skin cancer treated? There are several ways of treating skin cancer . The most common ones are surgery and radiation therapy. However, heat, freezing (cryosurgery), chemotherapy, and immunotherapy are all being used in some instances. What factors determine the treatment used? The treatment depends upon many things: the type of growth, its location, its size, the rate of growth, the degree of extension and mestastasis, and whether or not it is a recurring growth. The doctor must also take into account the physical condition of the patient and how the person might respond to the various treatments. The treatment chosen should be the one which will give the best results both medically and cosmetically. The patient's preference should be taken into consideration. When are surgery and radiation therapy used? A small growth which is easily accessible is usually removed completely by surgery in the doctor's office. If the growth is large or is in a place where the su...

Skin Cancers Cancer of the skin is the most common kind of cancer and, because it is visible, it is the most easily diagnosed and treated. It is estimated that between 500,000 and 900,000 such cancers are treated each year. With the exception of malignant melanoma, skin cancer is also the most curable of all cancers. Skin cancer can develop in almost any area of the skin. The face, neck, forearms, and backs of hands, because they are most exposed, are the most common sites. Long term exposure to the sun is the most common cause of skin cancer. Those Most Likely to Get Skin Cancer  • Light skinned persons living in the southern part of the country • Persons who have had excessive exposure to the sun without protection, such as farmers, seamen, ranchers, etc. • Persons over 40 years of age, males more often than females • Persons with fair complexions whose skin sunburns rather than tans • Relatives of persons with basal cell skin cancer • Persons who have had exces...