Newly Diagnosed with Skin Cancer

The terminology around skin cancer treatment can be confusing. Our skin cancer treatment pages provide physician-reviewed information about each option, written in a way that is easy to understand. Options vary and are specific to the type of skin cancer you have, and your overall health, among other things. So be sure to review the treatment page that matches your diagnosis:

Basal Cell Carcinoma Treatment

Melanoma Treatment

Merkel Cell Carcinoma Treatment

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treatment

Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treatment

Rare Skin Cancer Information & Treatment

Skin Cancer Treatment Glossary

Mohs Surgery for the Newly Diagnosed

Above all, advocate for yourself! Be sure to speak with your medical team in detail about your treatment options, and ask for clarification on anything you are uncertain about.

Be sure to discuss pain with your surgeon before the procedure; ask questions and take notes. Your type or stage of skin cancer can affect your pain level during reconstruction. Depending on the size and location of the wound, the repair may be done using flap surgery. In the case of a more aggressive skin cancer where a wider or deeper removal may be required, there can be more pain associated with the reconstruction done to close the wound.

Pain tolerance is sometimes influenced by factors including the patient’s age, gender and genetics. For example, a young child may have a lower pain threshold compared to an adult. Women may report more sensitivity to pain than men. Stress and patient expectations can also play a role. Patients experiencing a high level of stress prior to surgery and those anticipating severe pain may report more pain. Overall, how a patient experiences pain varies; it’s hard for physicians to generalize how you’ll feel.

If your skin cancer is treated early on, when it’s small, you may not have a noticeable scar. If you need surgery to remove it, you probably will end up with some kind of scar. It’s important to know that the wound that will be created during surgery will often be larger than you may expect. There may be extensions, or “roots,” of the cancer that are not visible from the surface that will be discovered during surgery, requiring the removal of more tissue.
No matter what, your scar is a badge of courage and demonstrates the healing power of your own skin. Learn more about scars here.

The short answer is yes. Our experts agree that when you’ve been diagnosed with a skin cancer, time is of the essence, meaning you should get treated as early as possible. Skin cancer is serious and treatment should not be delayed.

Melanoma: Melanoma can be invasive and deadly when treatment is delayed. A study in JAMA Dermatology found that melanoma patients treated within 30 days of the biopsy had a better outcome than those who waited.

Nonmelanoma skin cancers: If you are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)and need surgery to remove it, it’s always better to do it when it’s small. While BCCs often grow slowly, they may bleed, get scabby and unsightly, and invade deep into local tissue. Left untreated, they can eat through muscle, even bone, and that can make surgery more difficult and disfiguring. SCCs can attach themselves to local lymph nodes and spread to some organs, and can become deadly. The latest figures suggest that each year, about twice as many people die from SCC than from melanoma.

While skin cancer is the world’s most common cancer, it is uncommon in children, with only about 300 new cases per year in the U.S. But skin cancer can occur in children and adolescents.

In fact, melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer, is the second most common cancer in people aged 15 to 29. Risk factors for childhood melanoma include genetic predisposition and family history.

Additional risk factors include light skin and a high level of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure — specifically, intense sun exposure early in life.

Knowing what to look for, and detecting skin cancer early is crucial. Monthly skin self-exams help children and their parents get keep an eye out for anything new, changing or unusual. If your child has a spot that just doesn’t seem right, have it checked by a physician. The earlier a skin cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat and cure

There are many factors that contribute to whether or not your skin cancer will return, including what kind of skin cancer you have, how early it was detected and treated, and the method used to treat that cancer. Get more information from our expert.

About 60 percent of people who have had one skin cancer will be diagnosed with a second one within 10 years, says a 2015 study in JAMA Dermatology. If you’ve had one type of skin cancer, statistics show you are also at risk for the other types, including melanoma, which can be life-threatening. Get information about having skin cancer more than once.