Discussing your Skin Cancer options and concerns
All of the treatments mentioned above, when chosen carefully and
appropriately, have good cure rates for most basal cell and squamous cell
cancers -and even for malignant melanoma, if it's caught very early, before it's
had a chance to spread.
You should discuss these choices thoroughly with your doctor before beginning
treatment. Find out which options are available to you...how effective they're
likely to be for your particular cancer...the possible risks and side
effects...who can best perform them...and the cosmetic and functional results
you can expect. If you have any doubts about the outcome, get a second opinion
from a plastic surgeon before you begin treatment.
A word about skin cancer reconstruction
The different techniques used in treating skin cancers can be life saving,
but they may leave a patient with less than pleasing cosmetic or functional
results. Depending on the location and severity of the cancer, the consequences
may range from a small but unsightly scar to permanent changes in facial
structures such as your nose, ear, or lip.
In such cases, no matter who performs the initial treatment, the plastic surgeon
can be an important part of the treatment team. Reconstructive techniques-
ranging from a simple scar revision to a complex transfer of tissue flaps from
elsewhere on the body-can often repair damaged tissue, rebuild body parts, and
restore most patients to acceptable appearance and function.
A bone/soft tissue flap is used to
reconstruct the nose following skin
cancer excision.
The incision lines of the flap are
hidden within the natural creases of
the nose and face.