Treatment for non melanoma skin cancer

Deciding what treatment you need

Your GP might refer you to a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This is a team of doctors and other professionals who discuss the best treatment and care for you.

There are two levels of MDTs for non melanoma skin cancer:

• The Local Hospital Skin Cancer MDT is usually in cancer units in district general hospitals.

• A Specialist Skin Cancer MDT is usually in larger hospitals that have cancer centres or plastic surgery centres.

You may only see one specialist. But the team will have discussed your test results and case notes to work out the best treatment for you.

Some GPs have had special training and are part of the local hospital skin cancer MDT. They can diagnose and treat your skin cancer. So, they may not need to refer you to a hospital to see a skin specialist.

Find out more about the MDT team

There are different treatment options for skin cancer. Your treatment depends on:

• your type of skin cancer

• how far it's grown or spread

• where the cancer is

• the stage of your cancer

• your general health and level of fitness

• your personal wishes

The 2 main types of non melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). You can read more about your type of skin cancer at the link below.

Find out more about the different types of non melanoma skin cancer

Treatment options for non melanoma skin cancer

Your doctor will discuss your treatment options with you. And tell you about the benefits and the possible side effects.

The main treatment for skin cancer is surgery. Most people only have surgery and don't need further treatment.

Surgery for skin cancer

There are different types of surgery. The type you have depends on where your cancer is, how big it is, and how deep it is. If your GP has had specialist training, they might be able to remove a low risk skin cancer. Or you might have surgery in the hospital under a general anaesthetic.

Read about the different types of surgery for non melanoma skin cancer

Some people are unable to have surgery or might need another treatment after having surgery. There are other treatments available. You might have:

Imiquimod cream (Aldara)

Imiquimod cream is a type of immunotherapy. It uses your body’s own immune system to help kill the skin cancer cells. You apply the cream directly onto the skin cancer.

Find out more about having imiquimod cream for non melanoma skin cancer

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. You might have radiotherapy as your main treatment if you can’t or don’t want to have surgery. Or you might have it after surgery to try to lower the risk of the cancer coming back.

Read about radiotherapy for non melanoma skin cancer

Chemotherapy cream

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to kill cancer cells. You might have a chemotherapy cream which you apply directly to the skin cancer. It is rare to treat skin cancer with chemotherapy into the vein (intravenously).

Find out more about having chemotherapy cream for non melanoma skin cancer

Targeted drugs and immunotherapy

Targeted cancer drugs work by targeting the differences in cancer cells that help them to grow and survive. Immunotherapy drugs help the immune system to attack cancer. These drugs might be an option for skin cancer that has spread to deeper layers of the skin, nearby lymph nodes or other body parts.

Find out more about having targeted drugs and immunotherapy for non melanoma skin cancer

Photodynamic therapy (PDT)

Photodynamic therapy is a cancer treatment. You have a drug that makes cells sensitive to light. Then the doctor shines a particular type of light on the treatment area. This destroys the skin cancer cells.

Read about photodynamic therapy for non melanoma skin cancer

Clinical trials

Your doctor might ask if you’d like to take part in a clinical trial. Researchers do trials to make existing treatments better and develop new treatments.

Find out more about clinical trials for non melanoma skin cancer

Follow up appointments

You might have follow up appointments after you finish your treatment. These are to check how you are and whether you have any problems or worries.

How often you'll need these check ups depends on how likely your cancer is to come back.

Find out more about living with non melanoma skin cancer