Surgery

Simple excision: The tumor, along with some of the normal tissue around it, is cut from the skin.

Mohs micrographic surgery: The tumor is cut from the skin in thin layers. During the procedure, 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. It is often used to remove skin cancer on the face, fingers, or genitals and skin cancer that does not have a clear border.

Shave excision: The abnormal area is shaved off the surface of the skin with a small blade.

Curettage and electrodesiccation: The tumor is cut from the skin with a curette (a sharp, spoon-shaped tool). A needle-shaped electrode is then used to treat the area with an electric current that stops the bleeding and destroys cancer cells that remain around the edge of the wound. The process may be repeated one to three times during the surgery to remove all of the cancer. This type of treatment is also called electrosurgery.

Cryosurgery: A treatment that uses an instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue, such as carcinoma in situ. This type of treatment is also called cryotherapy.

Laser surgery: A surgical procedure that uses a laser beam (a narrow beam of intense light) as a knife to make bloodless cuts in tissue or to remove a surface lesion such as a tumor.

Dermabrasion: Removal of the top layer of skin using a rotating wheel or small particles to rub away skin cells.