Treating Skin Cancer
At HOA, our skin cancer specialists are dedicated to helping you understand your treatment options and feel confident in your care plan. Your medical team will carefully evaluate your individual situation and overall health to recommend the most effective treatment approach.
HOA offers comprehensive, expert skin cancer care to patients throughout Central New York.
Types of Skin Cancer Treatments
Patients diagnosed with skin cancer have access to several treatment options. Your oncologist will work closely with you to determine the best approach, which may involve a single treatment or a combination of therapies. Common treatments for non-melanoma skin cancers and melanoma include:
Depending on your specific diagnosis, clinical research trials may also be available.
Surgery
Surgery is often the primary treatment for both non-melanoma skin cancers and melanoma. Based on the type of cancer and whether it has spread, surgery may be followed by other therapies. There are several surgical techniques your surgeon may recommend, most of which are performed in their office.
- Wide Local Excision (WLE)
- Mohs Surgery
- Electrodesiccation and Curettage
Skin Grafts
Sometimes, skin grafts are necessary to close the opening left by surgery. Healthy skin is taken from another part of the body, such as the upper thigh, and used to cover the surgical site. Your care team will provide care instructions to support healing after the graft.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. It may be recommended for skin cancer in areas where surgery could be difficult or leave a bad scar, such as the eyelid, ear, top of the head, or nose. It is also suggested for patients who:
- Have cancer cells remaining after surgery
- Require treatment over a larger area
- Have recurrent non-melanoma skin cancer
- Are unable or prefer not to undergo surgery or anesthesia
There are two types of radiation therapy for skin cancer:
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT): This treatment involves delivering radiation from a machine outside the body to the precise location of the cancer or surgery site. Each session lasts a few minutes, with treatment typically administered five days a week for several weeks.
- High-dose-rate brachytherapy: This technique involves placing the radiation source directly on the skin cancer for short periods. It is most often used for non-melanoma basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers. An applicator is filled with the radioactive material and then placed where it can deliver radiotherapy to the affected area. This can be repeated a couple of times a week for several weeks to ensure the cancer cells are destroyed.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses medications to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from dividing.
Topical Chemotherapy for Non-melanoma Skin Cancers
Topical chemotherapy is a treatment applied directly to the skin in the form of a cream or lotion. It is recommended most often for non-melanoma patients and can help treat new skin cancers as they appear.
Chemotherapy for Melanoma
Chemotherapy may be suggested when lymph nodes are affected by cancer. It can also be given after surgery to lower the risk of cancer recurrence. This treatment is often given through an IV in order to attack cancer cells that may be circulating throughout the lymph system and possibly spreading to other organs.
In certain cases, regional chemotherapy may be used. This method involves injecting chemotherapy directly into the area of the body affected by cancer. A tourniquet is used to temporarily halt blood flow to and from the affected limb. A warm solution with the anticancer drugs is put directly into the blood of the limb, allowing for a high dose of drugs to the area where the cancer is.
Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a light-activated drug to destroy cancer cells. This chemical, known as a photosensitizing agent, is either applied as a cream or injected into the body and absorbed by cancer cells. A special light is then focused on the cancerous growth to activate the drug and kill nearby cancer cells.
PDT is generally used for surface-level cancer and is typically performed in a dermatologist's office.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy helps the body's immune system to recognize and fight cancer. Also referred to as biotherapy or biologic therapy, this treatment is commonly used for melanoma.
Interferon and interleukin-2 (IL-2) are types of biologic therapy that can slow tumor growth and boost immune cells, particularly lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell), to attack cancer cells.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is another type of biologic therapy often used in combination with other melanoma treatments. TNF is a protein produced by white blood cells in response to an antigen or infection. Tumor necrosis factor can be made in the laboratory and used as a treatment to kill cancer cells.
Bispecific T-cell Engager (BiTE) for Melanoma
Bispecific T-cell Engager (BiTE) therapy is a new form of immunotherapy that can be used to treat melanoma, particularly in patients with advanced or treatment-resistant cases. BiTE therapies are designed to help the immune system more effectively recognize and attack melanoma cells by directing T-cells to cancer targets.
The oncologists at HOA can help determine whether BiTE therapy is right for you.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy focuses on attacking specific cancer cells that have certain genetic changes while sparing normal cells. The choice of targeted therapies depends on the type of skin cancer.
For melanoma, some targeted therapies include:
- BRAF inhibitors: These limit the growth of a changed (mutated) BRAF gene can slow the growth of melanoma.
- MEK inhibitors: These inhibit the growth of the MEK gene that works with the BRAF gene. Blocking the MEK gene can slow the BRAF gene growth.
- C-KIT inhibitors: They target tumors located in areas like the palms, soles, mucosal areas, and regions exposed to consistent sun exposure.
Basal cell carcinoma may also be treated with targeted therapies known as Hedgehog pathway inhibitors, which block the Hedgehog signaling pathway to stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. Examples include vismodegib (Erivedge®) and sonidegib (Odomzo®).
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin may be treated with targeted therapies called EGFR inhibitors. SCC cells often have higher levels of a protein known as EGFR on their surface, which can promote cancer growth. By targeting EGFR, these treatments help slow or stop the spread of the disease.
Clinical Trials for Skin Cancer Available in Central New York
Research on skin cancer continues to explore new therapeutic combinations. HOA actively participates in such studies and currently offers clinical trials for skin cancer patients. If you meet the eligibility criteria for a trial, your oncologist will discuss the possibility of participation with you.
Learn more about clinical trials available at Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY.
Supportive Care for Skin Cancer Patients
HOA provides supportive care aimed at alleviating cancer symptoms and side effects, which can enhance the patient's quality of life. This supportive care may include emotional counseling, pain management, nutritional assistance, and guidance for navigating practical challenges related to the disease and its treatment.
If you need help managing life with cancer, please reach out to a member of your skin cancer care team.
Find a Skin Cancer Specialist in the Syracuse Area
At Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY, we are dedicated to providing expert, patient-centered skin cancer care. Our multidisciplinary approach ensures that each patient receives a personalized treatment plan based on the latest advancements in skin cancer care. With a committed team, the most advanced treatment options, comprehensive diagnostic imaging, access to clinical research trials, an in-house pharmacy and laboratory, and a post-treatment survivorship program, HOA offers exceptional skin cancer care in Central New York.
Our cancer centers offer care for patients in Central New York, in the Syracuse area, including Camillus and all of Onondaga County; Auburn and the rest of Cayuga County; Madison County, including Oneida; Jefferson County, including Watertown; Oswego County, including Fulton and Oswego, Cortland County, and Herkimer County.
