What are the options for treatment of Basal Cell Cancer?
The mainstay therapy for Basal Cell cancer is surgery. Newer treatments involving chemotherapy with medications that have a boosting effect on your immune system such as Imiquimod (Aldara ™) (See Below) are proving to be promising for certain less invasive basal cell cancers. The mainstay procedure, however, is still surgical excision or electrically destroying the tumor (EDC or Laser procedures) which yields a cure rate of about 95%. These latter techniques are performed under local anesthesia and recovery time is minimal. In certain instances, where the cancer is close to a sensory organ such as the nose or eye, a tissue sparing technique called Mohs Surgery may be employed. This type of surgery involves the evaluation of multiple frozen specimens to make sure that these important areas are free from residual cancer. It has abou a 99% cure rate and is used for tumors in the head and neck region primarily.Finally, some doctors treat basal cell cancers with injectable medications such
