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Treatment of Childhood Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin
Source: Childhood Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: November 2, 2020 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
The main treatment for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is surgery. Two types of surgery may be used:
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Excision: The tumor and a small amount of healthy tissue around the tumor is removed.
Mohs micrographic surgery: The tumor is cut from the skin in thin layers. During surgery, the edges of the tumor and each layer of tumor removed are viewed through a microscope to check for cancer cells. Layers continue to be removed until no more cancer cells are seen. This type of surgery removes as little normal tissue as possible and is often used to remove skin cancer on the face.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice