+353 (0)1 206 4219
Skin cancer is very prevalent in Ireland. Fair skin is susceptible to the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays, and there are more than 700 new cases of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed here every year and it is the third most common cancer within the 15-44 year age group.
However, this does also mean that healthcare professionals and general practitioners (GPs) are very aware of these three types of skin cancer and the warning signs to look out for.
As with all forms of cancer, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of skin cancer are very important when it comes to a favourable outcome. This is why we place such an emphasis on checking skin and moles at home. It is also very important to remember that treatments have advanced and improved.
A visit to the family doctor or local GP is usually the first step if you are at all concerned about possibly having skin cancer. He or she will perform a thorough examination of your skin and, if there is an area of concern, will refer you to a skin cancer specialist for more tests. A biopsy may be performed. This involves the removal of some of the affected skin under local anaesthetic - and in some cases this may be the only treatment needed. Either way the removed skin is sent away to test for the presence of cancer.
The most common form of treatment for skin cancer is surgery, and other treatments can include:
curettage & cautery
cryotherapy
radiotherapy
laser therapy
Immunotherapy
photodynamic therapy
chemotherapy
Small cancers can be removed quite simply through surgical excision. If it is a larger tumour, more of the skin in the surrounding area may need to be removed to ensure complete clearance of the skin cancer and reduce local recurrence, and this means a patient might require a skin graft to cover the treated area.
Cryotherapy can be used on smaller cancers; the cells are sprayed with liquid nitrogen, which freezes and kills them. More advanced cancers, squamous cell cancer or malignant melanomas, may require a lymphadenectomy, a procedure to remove lymph nodes.
So, while early skin cancer detection is key to dramatically improving patient outcome from a health perspective, it can also reduce the need for complex reconstructive surgery after any necessary treatment.
Of course, the patient’s health is the priority but advances in reconstructive techniques and care mean that reconstructive surgery after surgical removal of the skin cancer can bring back a sense of normality for a person. It can be quite traumatic to have surgery on the face or neck and be left with a disfigurement, but with improvements in techniques, surgeons increasingly focus on helping to restore a patient’s appearance as much as possible.
If you are concerned about your skin or that of a loved one, arrange a consultation with me at my clinic, see my blog on the skin cancer treatments and cosmetic procedures available to you, and download the guide to sun protection and proper sunscreen use to reduce the risk of skin cancer:
Download Mr Chan's Guide to Proper Sunscreen Use
Skin cancer is very prevalent in Ireland. Fair skin is susceptible to the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays, and there are more than 700 new cases of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed here every year and it is the third most common cancer within the 15-44 year age group.
However, this does also mean that healthcare professionals and general practitioners (GPs) are very aware of these three types of skin cancer and the warning signs to look out for.
As with all forms of cancer, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of skin cancer are very important when it comes to a favourable outcome. This is why we place such an emphasis on checking skin and moles at home. It is also very important to remember that treatments have advanced and improved.
A visit to the family doctor or local GP is usually the first step if you are at all concerned about possibly having skin cancer. He or she will perform a thorough examination of your skin and, if there is an area of concern, will refer you to a skin cancer specialist for more tests. A biopsy may be performed. This involves the removal of some of the affected skin under local anaesthetic - and in some cases this may be the only treatment needed. Either way the removed skin is sent away to test for the presence of cancer.
The most common form of treatment for skin cancer is surgery, and other treatments can include:
curettage & cautery
cryotherapy
radiotherapy
laser therapy
Immunotherapy
photodynamic therapy
chemotherapy
Small cancers can be removed quite simply through surgical excision. If it is a larger tumour, more of the skin in the surrounding area may need to be removed to ensure complete clearance of the skin cancer and reduce local recurrence, and this means a patient might require a skin graft to cover the treated area.
Cryotherapy can be used on smaller cancers; the cells are sprayed with liquid nitrogen, which freezes and kills them. More advanced cancers, squamous cell cancer or malignant melanomas, may require a lymphadenectomy, a procedure to remove lymph nodes.
So, while early skin cancer detection is key to dramatically improving patient outcome from a health perspective, it can also reduce the need for complex reconstructive surgery after any necessary treatment.
Of course, the patient’s health is the priority but advances in reconstructive techniques and care mean that reconstructive surgery after surgical removal of the skin cancer can bring back a sense of normality for a person. It can be quite traumatic to have surgery on the face or neck and be left with a disfigurement, but with improvements in techniques, surgeons increasingly focus on helping to restore a patient’s appearance as much as possible.
If you are concerned about your skin or that of a loved one, arrange a consultation with me at my clinic, see my blog on the skin cancer treatments and cosmetic procedures available to you, and download the guide to sun protection and proper sunscreen use to reduce the risk of skin cancer:
Download Mr Chan's Guide to Proper Sunscreen Use
