Skin cancer

Skin cancer treatment

Overview

Treatment for small non-melanoma skin cancers includes cryotherapy (freezing) and topical creams or gels.

Other skin cancers will be removed (surgical excision). If they can’t be removed, you may have radiation therapy.

Skin cancer booklet (PDF)

About this information

The information on this website is not medical, legal or financial advice. Always consult appropriate professionals about your specific situation. Full disclaimer.

Reviewers

This information has been developed by Cancer Council NSW on behalf of all other state and territory Cancer Councils as part of a National Cancer Information Subcommittee initiative.

All updated content has been clinically reviewed by:

Prof Victoria Mar, Director, Victorian Melanoma Service, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, VIC and Prof Anne Cust, Acting Director, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, and faculty member, Melanoma Institute Australia. This edition is based on the previous edition, which was reviewed by the following panel: Prof Victoria Mar (see above); Tracey Bilson, Consumer; Raelene Buchan, Consumer; Alison Button-Sloan, Consumer; Dr Margaret Chua, Radiation Oncologist, and the Skin Radiation Oncology team, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Prof Anne Cust, (see above); A/Prof Paul Fishburn, Skin Cancer Doctor, Norwest Skin Cancer Centre, NSW and Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland; Danielle Goss, Melanoma Clinical Nurse Specialist, Amie St Clair Melanoma (part of Melanoma Institute Australia), Wagga Wagga, NSW; Louise Pellerade, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Dr Shireen Sidhu, Head of Dermatology, The Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Dr Amelia Smit, Research Fellow - Melanoma and Skin Cancer, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Dr Tony Tonks, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Canberra Plastic Surgery, ACT.

We also thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title.

View our editorial policy.

Treatments for skin cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancer is treated in different ways. The treatment recommended by your doctors will depend on:

the type, size and location of the cancer
your general health
any medicines you are taking (these may increase the risk of bleeding after surgery or delay healing)
whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.

If an excision biopsy removed all the cancer, you may not need any further treatment.

Learn more about these treatments for skin cancer:

Surgery

Surgery to remove the cancer (surgical excision) is the most common treatment for invasive BCC and SCC.

Other treatments for skin cancer

Radiation therapy may be used for some skin cancers. Small, superficial skin cancers can be treated with cryotherapy (freezing), photodynamic therapy or topical creams or gels.

Making treatment decisions

Sometimes it is difficult to decide on the type of treatment to have. You may feel that everything is happening too fast, or you might be anxious to get started. Read our simple guide to making decisions with your health professionals.

Skin cancer can change your financial situation, especially if you have medical expenses or need to travel for treatment. Check whether any financial assistance is available by calling Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 or, if you are in hospital, ask the social worker. Some treatment centres may offer payment plans. See Cancer and your finances for more information.

Hard-to-treat and advanced skin cancer

A very small number of SCCs and even fewer BCCs spread to lymph nodes or other areas of the body. To work out if the skin cancer has spread, your doctor will feel nearby lymph nodes and may recommend a biopsy, imaging scans or other tests. You may be referred to a cancer specialist called a medical oncologist.

Your doctor or medical oncologist will explain your treatment options, which may include surgery, radiation therapy or drug therapies such as immunotherapy, targeted therapy or chemotherapy.

Drug therapies such as immunotherapy may be used before or after surgery for some cancers, or used instead of surgery or radiation therapy for some people.

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