Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose nonmelanoma skin cancer include:

• Physical exam: Your healthcare provider reviews your health history and examines your skin for signs of cancer.

• Biopsy: A sample of skin is removed using tools to cut, shave, or punch out tissue for lab testing. The sample is examined to determine if cancer is present and what type it is.

If a biopsy confirms nonmelanoma skin cancer, additional tests may be needed to check whether the cancer has spread beyond the skin.

Care at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic specialists provide evaluation and treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the size, type, location, and depth of the cancer. Small, superficial cancers may be fully treated with a biopsy alone. Other treatment options include:

• Surgery: Removes cancer along with a margin of healthy tissue if needed.

• Freezing (cryosurgery): Early-stage, small cancers may be destroyed by freezing with liquid nitrogen.

• Radiation therapy: Uses high-energy beams to treat cancer, often when surgery cannot fully remove it.

• Chemotherapy:

  • Topical creams or lotions can treat cancers limited to the surface of the skin.

  • Systemic chemotherapy may be used if cancer has spread beyond the skin.

• Photodynamic therapy: Combines a light-activated medicine (photosensitizer) with laser light to kill cancerous and precancerous cells.

• Immunotherapy: Uses the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.

Early detection and treatment improve outcomes, and ongoing follow-up is important to monitor for recurrence or new skin cancers.