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Treatment for skin cancer

There are many different types of treatment for skin cancer. Your treatment will depend on you and your cancer.

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Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) is an advanced form of radiation therapy used to treat skin cancer, offering highly-targeted doses of radiation to complex lesions or tumours on the body without damaging the surrounding healthy areas.

To learn more about the treatment options for skin cancer, see below. For further information on VMAT please click here.

At Icon, we proudly offer the latest skin cancer treatments including VMAT.  If you have a question about becoming a patient at one of our centres or accessing our treatment services, you can send us a message here and someone from your local centre will be in touch.

 

Treatment for skin cancer

Treatment for melanoma skin cancer will be dependent on your stage of cancer and whether it is early or advanced.

Early-stage melanoma

Surgery is often the most common form of treatment for early–stage melanoma, which involves removal of the skin cancer, as well as a margin around it. If the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, these will also require removal, known as a lymphadenectomy. 1

Advanced melanoma

Additional treatments may be required for more advanced melanoma that has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs or bone, and include: 1

Immunotherapy

uses drugs to encourage the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer cells.

Radiation Therapy

uses radiation to help destroy cancer cells. This type of treatment can be used after surgery, or when the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.

Targeted Therapies

this uses special drugs to target only the cancer cells (whilst leaving healthy cells intact). This type of treatment is often used in patients where the melanoma has spread, or who have had a recurrence (cancer that has come back).

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) involves the use of external radiation therapy beams being directed in a series of arcs or angles to allow for greater access to a cancerous tumour.

Treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer, as with melanoma cancers, is dependent on the size of the cancer and where it is located.  Sometimes a biopsy is performed prior to surgery, otherwise surgery under local anaesthetic is the most common form of treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers. 2

In certain instances, primary radiation therapy may be used for skin cancers.      

Being treated at Icon

Becoming a patient

Icon centres offer a range of skin cancer treatments to ensure a personalised treatment plan for every patient. The type of treatment you receive will depend on you and your type of cancer. If you have a question about becoming a patient at one of centres or accessing our treatment services, you can send us a message here and someone from your local centre will be in touch. Alternatively, visit our treatments page to find out more information about the range of treatment methods and technology available at Icon.

Skin cancer research at Icon

Icon Research offers Australia the largest private clinical trials program in cancer research, with over 35 clinical trials currently open for recruitment. Icon’s collaborative approach to clinical trial research not only enables continual advancement and breakthroughs in skin cancer research, but also enables the most up to date treatment options are available to all patients regardless of health insurance.

Skin cancer clinics at Icon Cancer Centre

Icon Cancer Centre provides fast access to skin cancer treatment at all our centres. For more information and to make an enquiry about our dedicated skin cancer clinic, please click here.

References

For a full list of references, click here.
  1. Melanoma. (2019). Cancer Council. Retrieved on 15th February 2019 from https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/skin-cancer/melanoma.html
  2. Non-melanoma. (2019). Cancer Council. Retrieved on 15th February 2019 from https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/skin-cancer/non-melanoma.html

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