Skin cancer
Treatment for skin cancers
There are different treatments for skin cancer, depending on the type, stage, position and size of the cancer. Learn about possible treatments and their potential side effects.
Last updated:
Sources and references 
Know your options – Understanding the type of skin cancer you have, available treatments, possible side effects and costs (see below) can help you weigh up the options and make a well-informed decision.
Record the details – When your doctor first says you have cancer, you may not remember everything you are told. Taking notes can help. If you would like to record the discussion, ask your doctor first. It is a good idea to have a family member or friend go with you to appointments to join in the discussion, write notes or simply listen.
Ask questions – If you are confused or want to check anything, it is important to ask questions. Try to make a list before appointments. You could also talk to a cancer care coordinator or nurse.
Consider a second opinion – You may want to get a second opinion from another doctor to confirm or clarify your doctor’s recommendations or reassure you that you have explored all of your options. Doctors are used to people doing this, and they can refer you and send your initial results to another doctor. You can get a second opinion even if you have started treatment or still want to be treated by your first doctor. You might decide to be treated by the second doctor.
It’s your decision – Adults have the right to accept or refuse any treatment that they are offered.
Find out any costs – If you see your GP or go to a skin cancer clinic, your visit may be bulk-billed or you may have to pay upfront. Medical centres and skin cancer clinics may offer a bulk-billed skin check, but you may need to pay for any treatment you have. Fees often depend on whether you have surgery or a biopsy. You may also need to pay for follow-up appointments to check the wound or have stitches removed.
When you make an appointment, ask what you will have to pay and how much is refunded by Medicare. Most places will ask you to pay on the day you see the doctor. If you have concerns about the cost, ask whether there are any payment plans or other options available to you.
Some public hospitals have outpatient clinics that provide government funded skin cancer treatment. Your GP can refer you when appropriate. In areas without a clinic, you may be able to see a visiting specialist.
Cancer Council does not operate or recommend any specific skin cancer clinics or individual specialists.
Treatment considerations
Non-melanoma skin cancer is treated in different ways. The treatment recommended by your doctors will depend on:
- the type, size and location of the cancer
- your general health
- any medicines you are taking (these may increase the risk of bleeding after surgery or delay healing)
- whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. If an excision biopsy removed all the cancer, you may not need any further treatment.
Treatment options
Treatment options for skin cancer include:
Key points about treating skin cancer
Main treatment
Surgery is the most common treatment for skin cancer.
How surgery is done
- The doctor will cut out the cancer and close the wound, usually with stitches.
- During Mohs surgery, the surgeon removes sections of cells and checks them under a microscope immediately.
- For larger wounds, the doctor may use skin from another part of the body (the donor site) to cover the wound with a flap or graft.
- During curettage and electrodesiccation (cautery), the doctor removes the cancer with a small, sharp tool called a curette. Heat is then applied to stop the bleeding and destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Other treatments
- Cryotherapy (freezing) is used to treat sunspots and some early skin cancers. The doctor will spray liquid nitrogen onto the skin to freeze and destroy the cancer cells.
- Creams and gels are used to treat some sunspots and cancers. This is known as topical treatment. They may contain immunotherapy or chemotherapy drugs.
- Photodynamic therapy uses a cream and a light source to treat sunspots and some skin cancers.
- Radiation therapy can be used in areas that are difficult to treat, for large areas and as an alternative to surgery in some cases. It can also be used to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back.
Should I join a clinical trial?
Your doctor or nurse may suggest you take part in a clinical trial. Doctors run clinical trials to test new or modified treatments and ways of diagnosing disease to see if they are better than current methods. For example, if you join a randomised trial for a new treatment, you will be chosen at random to receive either the best existing treatment or the modified new treatment. Over the years, trials have improved treatments and led to better outcomes for people diagnosed with cancer.
You may find it helpful to talk to your specialist, clinical trials nurse or GP, or to get a second opinion. If you decide to take part in a clinical trial, you can withdraw at any time.
Sources and references
This edition has been developed by Cancer Council NSW on behalf of all other state and territory Cancer Councils as part of a National Cancer Information Subcommittee initiative.
All updated content has been clinically reviewed by Prof Victoria Mar, Director, Victorian Melanoma Service, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, VIC and Prof Anne Cust, Acting Director, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, and faculty member, Melanoma Institute Australia.
This edition is based on the previous edition, which was reviewed by the following panel: Prof Victoria Mar (see above); Tracey Bilson, Consumer; Raelene Buchan, Consumer; Alison Button-Sloan, Consumer; Dr Margaret Chua, Radiation Oncologist, and the Skin Radiation Oncology team, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Prof Anne Cust, (see above); A/Prof Paul Fishburn, Skin Cancer Doctor, Norwest Skin Cancer Centre, NSW and Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland; Danielle Goss, Melanoma Clinical Nurse Specialist, Amie St Clair Melanoma (part of Melanoma Institute Australia), Wagga Wagga, NSW; Louise Pellerade, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Dr Shireen Sidhu, Head of Dermatology, The Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Dr Amelia Smit, Research Fellow – Melanoma and Skin Cancer, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Dr Tony Tonks, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Canberra Plastic Surgery, ACT.
We also thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title.
Thanks also to Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Centre for providing the dysplastic naevus photograph on page 11, A/Prof Paul Fishburn for providing the sunspot photograph on page 10, A/Prof Andrew Miller for providing the age spot photograph on page 10, and Prof H Peter Soyer for providing the other photographs on pages 9–11.
Skin cancer
Cancer Council 13 11 20
Call us to talk to a specially trained health professional for free and confidential support and information.
Guide to best cancer care
This skin cancer guide explains the standard of high-quality cancer care that all Australians can expect, from diagnosis, to treatment, recovery, and living with cancer.