Basal Cell Carcinoma Treatment
This common but serious skin cancer affects the skin’s cycle of producing new skin cells when old skin cells die. When detected early, there are multiple treatment options.
What Is Basal Cell Carcinoma?
Basal cell carcinoma is a common type of skin cancer, which as the name suggests, affects the skin’s basal cells. The basal cells are responsible for producing new skin cells when old skin cells die. Once they become affected by cancer, this process does not happen correctly. As a result, lumps and scaly patches of skin can begin to develop in the affected areas.
Basal cell carcinoma typically develops in areas that are regularly exposed to sunlight, such as the face, neck and arms. Although it is common, basal cell carcinoma is still serious and should be treated as soon as possible. Fortunately, when detected early, basal cell carcinoma is easy to treat, and there are multiple treatment options.
Basal Cell Carcinoma FAQs
The Skin Cancer Surgical Center of Goodman Dermatology specializes in a range of skin cancer treatments. For basal cell carcinoma, we offer superficial radiotherapy, surgical excision and Mohs surgery. As mentioned above, the treatment that is best for you will depend on a variety of factors, and will be determined during your initial consultation.
In any case, the goal of basal cell carcinoma treatment is to remove the cancerous growth from the body to prevent it from spreading. For minor cases, this can be achieved with superficial radiotherapy, which uses x-ray energy to comfortably kill cancer cells. This treatment is completely non-invasive, and therefore a popular treatment option. For more serious cases, surgical techniques are usually required, but anesthetics will always be used for your comfort and safety.
The cost of your basal cell carcinoma treatment will vary depending on the extent of treatment necessary, and may be covered by insurance. At Goodman Dermatology, we understand that each patient is unique and deserves a personalized treatment plan. We can provide a more accurate cost for treatment after we assess your treatment goals and develop your treatment plan. During your consultation, we will discuss your needs and come up with an exact cost. To make our treatments more affordable for our patients, we are proud to offer financing options through CareCredit.
The side effects from your basal cell carcinoma treatment will depend on the treatment technique used. Superficial radiotherapy often only causes brief, minor side effects, which can include skin sensitivity and redness. For surgical techniques, patients may experience scarring, swelling, bruising or sensitivity in the treatment area. However, most side effects resolve within a few weeks of treatment.
The downtime from basal cell carcinoma treatment is usually minimal, as you will be able to return to most activities immediately after treatment. However, you will need to take special care of the treatment area, which may require adjusting lifestyle habits such as bathing and exercise.
The goal of basal cell carcinoma treatment is to eliminate skin cancer from the affected area. The success rate of this treatment will depend on your initial condition, but when treatment is started early, it is typically quite high. For some patients, multiple treatments may be necessary. During your consultation, we will discuss all of these factors so you know what to expect going into treatment.
If you are seeking basal cell carcinoma treatment in north metro Atlanta and North Georgia, contact us today. We’ll help you schedule your consultation at Goodman Dermatology so you can begin your treatment at our Skin Cancer Surgical Center.