Treating skin cancer (non-melanoma)

By NHS Choices Last updated Apr 26, 2021 14

Surgery is the main treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer, although it may depend on your individual circumstances.

Overall, treatment is successful for over 90% of people with basal cell carcinoma and 70-90% of people with squamous cell carcinoma.

Good cancer care

People with cancer should be cared for by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This is a team of specialists who work together to provide the best treatment and care.

The team often consists of a dermatologist, a plastic surgeon, an oncologist (a radiotherapy and chemotherapy specialist), a pathologist and a specialist nurse. Other members may include a dietitian, an occupational therapist, and you may have access to clinical psychological support.

If you have non-melanoma skin cancer, you may see several (or all) of these professionals as part of your treatment.

When deciding what treatment is best for you, your doctors will consider:

the type of cancer you have
the stage of your cancer (how big it is and how far it has spread)
your general health

Your cancer team will recommend what they think is the best treatment option, but the final decision will be yours.

Before visiting hospital to discuss your treatment options, you may find it useful to write a list of questions you would like to ask the specialist. For example, you may want to find out what the advantages and disadvantages of particular treatments are.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced healthcare guidelines about NHS skin cancer services. This guidance outlines NICE’s main recommendations on how, over the coming years, people with skin cancer or melanoma should be treated.

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Surgical excision

Surgical excision is where the surgeon cuts out the cancer as well as some surrounding healthy tissue to ensure the cancer is completely removed.

If a surgical excision is likely to leave significant scarring, it may be done in combination with a skin graft. A skin graft involves removing a patch of healthy skin, usually taken from a part of your body where any scarring cannot be seen, such as your back. It is then connected, or grafted, to the affected area.

In many cases, this operation is enough to cure skin cancer.

Curettage and electrocautery

Curettage and electrocautery is a similar technique to surgical excision, but is only suitable for cases where the cancer is quite small.

The surgeon will use a small, spoon-shaped blade to remove the cancer and an electric needle to remove the area surrounding the wound. The procedure may need to be repeated two or three times to ensure the cancer is completely removed.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy uses cold treatment to destroy the cancer. It is sometimes used for non-melanoma skin cancers in their early stages. Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the cancer, and this causes the area to scab over.

After about a month, the scab containing the cancer will fall off your skin. Cryotherapy may leave a small white scar on your skin.

Mohs’ micrographic surgery

Mohs’ micrographic surgery (MMS) is used to treat non-melanoma skin cancers when it is felt there is a high risk of the cancer spreading or returning, or the cancer is in an area where it would be important to remove as little skin as possible, such as the nose or eyes.

It involves removing the tumour bit by bit, as well as a small area of skin surrounding it. This minimises the removal of healthy tissue and reduces scarring.

Each time a piece of tissue is removed, it is checked for the presence of cancer. The procedure may need to be repeated two or three times to ensure the cancer is completely removed.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves using medicines to kill cancerous cells. In the case of non-melanoma skin cancer, chemotherapy is only recommended when the tumour is contained within the top layer of the skin.

This type of chemotherapy involves applying a cream, containing cancer-killing medicines, to the affected area. As only the surface of the skin is affected, you will not experience the side effects associated with other forms of chemotherapy, such as vomiting or hair loss. However, your skin may feel sore for several weeks afterwards.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT)

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used to treat basal cell carcinoma. It involves a cream which makes the skin highly sensitive to light.

After the cream has been applied, a strong light source is shone on the affected area of your skin which kills the cancer. PDT may cause a burning sensation, and around 2% of people who have this treatment will be left with some superficial scarring.

Imiquimod cream

Imiquimod cream is a treatment for basal cell carcinoma with a diameter of less than 2cm (0.8 inches). Imiquimod encourages your immune system to attack the cancer in the skin.

Common side effects of imiquimod include redness, flaking or peeling skin and itchiness.

Less common and more serious side effects of imiquimod include blistering or ulceration of your skin.

Wash the cream off and contact your GP if your skin blisters or you develop ulcers after using imiquimod.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy involves using low doses of radiation to destroy the cancer. The level of radiation involved is perfectly safe. However, your skin may feel sore for a few weeks after radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy is sometimes used to treat basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas if surgery would be unsuitable, or where the cancer covers a large area or would leave an unacceptable level of disfigurement, such as if the cancer is on the face.

Radiotherapy is sometimes used after surgical excision to try to prevent the cancer coming back. This is called adjuvant radiotherapy.

Want to know more?

Cancer Research UK: Treating skin cancer.
Macmillan: Treatment for skin cancer.