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Gorlin Syndrome Group

Supporting patients, their families and carers
 
Registered Charity No: 1096361
Supporting patients, their families, friends and carers affected by Gorlin Syndrome
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What is the best treatment for basal cell carcinomas?
This is a frequently asked question by many patients with skin cancer.
The age of the patient, underlying medical conditions, type, location and size of the skin cancer are all crucial factors that affect the decision of which treatment is best.

The following treatment characteristics may make one treatment superior to another:

Which treatment:

  • is the most effective?
  • will give the least noticeable scar?
  • will cause the least pain?
  • will have the shortest healing time?
  • will require the least number of visits to the Doctor?
  • will have the least side effects?

Patients with Gorlin Syndrome require special consideration because of the possibility of developing multiple skin cancers. Therefore, the most ideal treatment would be one that has a high cure rate, maximally preserves surrounding normal skin, is least scarring and has the shortest healing time with minimal side effects.

Cancer of the skin is generally grouped into non-melanoma (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) and melanoma (pigmented) types. Concerning Gorlin Syndrome, basal cell carcinoma (BCCs) are the predominant type, hence the following information is mainly applicable to this form of skin cancer.

Currently, there are multiple treatments available for non-melanoma skin cancer. The ideal treatment should be one that most effectively eradicates the cancer, maximally spares normal skin, is painless, without side effects, and heals rapidly with minimal scarring. Each patient and individual skin cancer(s) may demonstrate different features that make one of the treatments below more effective than the others.

All patients diagnosed with skin cancer should be educated on all possible treatment options. The best treatment is one that is selected, by the patient and physician, after reaching a complete understanding of the available therapeutic modalities.

Remember, prevention is better than cure. Avoid radiotherapy whenever possible and always use a sun block

 


 
 
 
 
Written and produced by Professor P A Farndon, Clinical Geneticist at the National Genetics Education and Development Centre UK, Jim Costello (deceased) & Margaret Costello, unless otherwise stated.