Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSkin Cancer SurgeryCryosurgeryRadiation TherapyPhotodynamic TherapyTopical TherapiesOral MedicationsImmunotherapyCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Skin Cancer Surgery
Cryosurgery
Radiation Therapy
Photodynamic Therapy
Topical Therapies
Oral Medications
Immunotherapy
Coping
The two most common types of skin cancer on the nose arebasal cell carcinoma (BCC)andsquamous cell carcinoma (SCC). While both need to be addressed right away, BCC is usually slow-growing while SCC grows more quickly.A third type of skin cancer, calledmelanoma, is far more serious and almost invariably requires surgery to remove it.
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Types of Skin Cancer
The first step intreating skin canceron the nose is determining what type it is and how far it has spread.
Skin cancer is usually diagnosed through askin biopsy. Yourdermatologistwill remove a tissue sample after numbing the area and send it to the lab. Then, apathologistwill examine the cells under a microscope and determine if cancer is present, most typically:
Symptoms of Skin Cancer
The options for treating skin cancer on the nose depend on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Because skin cancer rarely spreads beyond its original site, surgery is a common treatment.
Here are some of the most common types of surgery used:
Excisional Surgery
Excisional surgery is the removal of skin cancer with a scalpel. A border (margin) of normal skin will also be removed just to be safe. Excisional surgery requires the numbing of the skin with alocal anesthetic. Stitches are usually needed.
There is a risk of scarring with excisional surgery; scars that do not heal well can be treated with scar revision surgery or laser treatments. If the growth is large, a skin graft may be needed.
The cure rates for excisional surgery in early skin cancer are 95% for BCC and 92% for SCC.
Curettage and Electrodesiccation
This type of surgery involves scraping or burning off the skin growth. It can be used for skin cancer lesions, as well as benign (non-cancerous) skin growths.
For this procedure, the healthcare provider will inject a numbing medication in and around the lesion and use a specialized tool with a sharp scooped edge to scrape it off. An electrical probe is then used on the skin.
This procedure sometimes needs to be repeated depending on the size of the lesion.
Electrodesiccation and Curettage for Skin Cancer
Mohs Surgery
Mohs surgeryis a procedure in which layers of cancer cells are gradually removed in order to preserve normal tissues.During this procedure, the surgeon removes layers of skin one at a time and examines each layer under a microscope to see if any cancer cells remain. This process continues until only cancer-free tissue is left.
Mohs surgery is more likely to be used when cancer is found in the skin folds around the nose or on the nose itself. The rate of recurrence after Mohs surgery is less than 5%, the lowest of all treatment options.
Laser Surgery
Laser surgery involves directing a laser beam at a skin lesion to vaporize cancer cells. It is most commonly used for precancerous growths likeactinic keratosisor as a secondary treatment for skin cancer.
Laser surgery is not currently used as a standard treatment for BCC or SCC. It can, however, be an effective secondary treatment after Mohs surgery. On its own, laser surgery cannot confidently remove enough cancer cells to be effective.
Types of Cosmetic Laser Procedures
Cryosurgery, also known ascryotherapy, is often used to treat very small cancer growths or precancerous lesions.In this technique, your healthcare provider will apply liquid nitrogen to freeze the lesion off. This causes the skin to blister and crust over.
While the tissues should heal fully within one to two months, the procedure can leave a scar.
When a skin tumor is very large or cannot be removed with surgery,radiation therapymay be used to manage rather than cure the cancer. However, if the tumor is small and the person is not a surgical candidate, radiation may be enough to cure the malignancy.
During this procedure, a narrow beam of high-energy radiation is targeted at cancer cells. Radiation has been proven effective at curing early-stage BCC and SCC. It can also treat metastatic tumors or shrink advanced tumors to avoid disease progress.
Radiation therapy can also be useful after surgery to ensure that all cancer cells are destroyed. This can help reduce the risk ofrecurrence.
Long-Term Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
Photodynamic therapyhas proven effective at treating precancerous lesions but is not yet an approved treatment for skin cancer itself.
Photodynamic therapy involves applying a photosensitizing gel over the lesion that causes cells to become extremely sensitive to light. A special light is then directed at the lesion, which damages the structure of the precancerous cells, effectively killing them.
It is possible to treat both early-stage BCC and SCC with topical chemotherapy. These medications usually come in a cream or ointment form that can be applied directly to the skin.
Among the approved options:
Oral Medications for Advanced Skin Cancer
It is rare for BCC and SCC to reach advanced stages, but when they do, oral medications may help. In addition tochemotherapy,targeted drugsmay be recommended to treat advanced skin cancer. Targeted drugs are those that damage cancer cells without destroying healthy cells.
Erivedge (vismodegib) and Odomzo (sonidegib) are two targeted drugs that prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading. The capsules are taken once daily and are generally used when BCC returns after surgery or radiation or cannot be treated with surgery or radiation. The drugs cannot cure BCC, but they can help sustain disease-free remission.
Immunotherapy for Cancer: What Are My Options?
While most skin cancer treatments are very effective, they can come with side effects. The most common risks of treating skin cancer on your nose are scarring and possible disfigurement. Even if you become cancer-free, these effects can be very bothersome. Talk with your oncologist or dermatologist about working with a plastic surgeon if needed.
Skin Cancer Reconstruction Surgery
Summary
Skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma can be treated with surgery, radiation, targeted therapies, topical chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Other treatments can be used to treat early-stage skin cancers or precancers, including cryosurgery and photodynamic therapy.
The choice of treatment depends on the type and stage of skin cancer you have.
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21 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Cancer Society.What are basal and squamous cell skin cancers?Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Five things to know if you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer on your face.Wollina U, Bennewitz A, Langner D.Basal cell carcinoma of the outer nose: overview on surgical techniques and analysis of 312 patients.J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2014 Jul;7(3):143-50. doi: 10.4103/0974-2077.146660Skin Cancer Foundation.Squamous cell carcinoma overview.Garcia de Jesus K, Gupta S, Hwang RR, Vigoda I, Cisneros O.An aggressive case of sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma, invasive to bone, arising within inverted papilloma with intracranial extension: a case report.Cureus. 2019 Apr;11(4):e4508. doi:10.7759/cureus.4508Skin Cancer Foundation.Melanoma overview.University of Michigan Medicine.Excision for nonmelanoma skin cancer.American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Electrodesiccation and curettage.Work Group; Invited Reviewers, Kim JYS, et al.Guidelines of care for the management of basal cell carcinoma.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(3):540-559. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2017.10.006American Society for Mohs Surgery.Mohs surgery FAQs.American Cancer Society.Treating basal cell carcinoma.American Cancer Society.Non-surgical local treatments for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.American Society for Mohs Surgery.Are lasers effective skin cancer treatment?Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Cryotherapy for skin lesions.American Cancer Society.Radiation therapy for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.American Cancer Society.Getting photodynamic therapy.MedlinePlus.Tirbanibulin topical.American Cancer Society.Targeted therapy for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.MedlinePlus,Pembrolizumab injection.Food and Drug Administration.Opdualag label.American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Skin Cancer Removal.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Cancer Society.What are basal and squamous cell skin cancers?Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Five things to know if you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer on your face.Wollina U, Bennewitz A, Langner D.Basal cell carcinoma of the outer nose: overview on surgical techniques and analysis of 312 patients.J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2014 Jul;7(3):143-50. doi: 10.4103/0974-2077.146660Skin Cancer Foundation.Squamous cell carcinoma overview.Garcia de Jesus K, Gupta S, Hwang RR, Vigoda I, Cisneros O.An aggressive case of sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma, invasive to bone, arising within inverted papilloma with intracranial extension: a case report.Cureus. 2019 Apr;11(4):e4508. doi:10.7759/cureus.4508Skin Cancer Foundation.Melanoma overview.University of Michigan Medicine.Excision for nonmelanoma skin cancer.American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Electrodesiccation and curettage.Work Group; Invited Reviewers, Kim JYS, et al.Guidelines of care for the management of basal cell carcinoma.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(3):540-559. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2017.10.006American Society for Mohs Surgery.Mohs surgery FAQs.American Cancer Society.Treating basal cell carcinoma.American Cancer Society.Non-surgical local treatments for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.American Society for Mohs Surgery.Are lasers effective skin cancer treatment?Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Cryotherapy for skin lesions.American Cancer Society.Radiation therapy for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.American Cancer Society.Getting photodynamic therapy.MedlinePlus.Tirbanibulin topical.American Cancer Society.Targeted therapy for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.MedlinePlus,Pembrolizumab injection.Food and Drug Administration.Opdualag label.American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Skin Cancer Removal.
American Cancer Society.What are basal and squamous cell skin cancers?
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Five things to know if you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer on your face.
Wollina U, Bennewitz A, Langner D.Basal cell carcinoma of the outer nose: overview on surgical techniques and analysis of 312 patients.J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2014 Jul;7(3):143-50. doi: 10.4103/0974-2077.146660
Skin Cancer Foundation.Squamous cell carcinoma overview.
Garcia de Jesus K, Gupta S, Hwang RR, Vigoda I, Cisneros O.An aggressive case of sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma, invasive to bone, arising within inverted papilloma with intracranial extension: a case report.Cureus. 2019 Apr;11(4):e4508. doi:10.7759/cureus.4508
Skin Cancer Foundation.Melanoma overview.
University of Michigan Medicine.Excision for nonmelanoma skin cancer.
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Electrodesiccation and curettage.
Work Group; Invited Reviewers, Kim JYS, et al.Guidelines of care for the management of basal cell carcinoma.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(3):540-559. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2017.10.006
American Society for Mohs Surgery.Mohs surgery FAQs.
American Cancer Society.Treating basal cell carcinoma.
American Cancer Society.Non-surgical local treatments for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.
American Society for Mohs Surgery.Are lasers effective skin cancer treatment?
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Cryotherapy for skin lesions.
American Cancer Society.Radiation therapy for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.
American Cancer Society.Getting photodynamic therapy.
MedlinePlus.Tirbanibulin topical.
American Cancer Society.Targeted therapy for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.
MedlinePlus,Pembrolizumab injection.
Food and Drug Administration.Opdualag label.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Skin Cancer Removal.
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