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Treatment for skin cancer

There are many different types of treatment for skin cancer. Your treatment will depend on you and your cancer.

Skin Cancer Treatment
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Treatment for melanoma skin cancer will be dependent on your stage of cancer and whether it is early or advanced.

Early-stage melanoma

Surgery is often the most common form of treatment for early-stage melanoma, which involves removal of the skin cancer, as well as a margin around it. If the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, these will also require removal, known as a lymphadenectomy. 1

Advanced melanoma

Additional treatments may be required for more advanced melanoma that has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs or bone, and include: 1

Immunotherapy

uses drugs to encourage the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer cells.

Radiation therapy

uses radiation to help destroy cancer cells. This type of treatment can be used after surgery, or when the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.

Targeted therapies

use special drugs to target only the cancer cells (whilst leaving healthy cells intact). This type of treatment is often used in patients where the melanoma has spread, or who have had a recurrence (cancer that has come back).

Treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer, as with melanoma cancers, is dependent on the size of the cancer and where it is located. Sometimes a biopsy is performed prior to surgery, otherwise surgery under local anaesthetic is the most common form of treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers. 2

Treatment at Icon

Bowen Icon Cancer Centre offers a range of skin cancer treatments to ensure a personalised treatment plan for every patient. Visit our treatments page to find out more information about the range of treatment methods and technology available at Icon.

References

For a full list of references, click here.
  1. Melanoma. (2019). Cancer Council. Retrieved on 15th February 2019 from https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/skin-cancer/melanoma.html
  2. Non-melanoma. (2019). Cancer Council. Retrieved on 15th February 2019 from https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/skin-cancer/non-melanoma.html

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  • Level B3, Bowen Specialist Medical Centre 98 Churchill Drive Crofton Downs Wellington 6035