Treatment. Most often squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is treated with minor surgery to remove all of the cancerous cells. In rare cases, special prescription topical ointments are used to treat skin cancer. If skin cancer has spread into the lymph nodes and or other nearby tissue, treatment options become more limited and more complex. Usually, the practitioner will take an account of the location, size, and severity of the skin cancer and will decide which technique is best to remove the skin cancer. Excision is a surgical method that involves using a scalpel to cut the cancerous cells out of the skin. Electrodesiccation and curettage is the burning and scraping of the cancerous cells with an electric needle. Mohs surgery involves the scraping off and immediate observation of layers of skin under a microscope to determine where the cancerous cells end. Lymph node surgery involves the removal of one or more lymph nodes that skin cancer has spread into. Dermabrasion is an option which uses an instrument that rotates of remove layers of skin and is typically used for minor cases of skin cancer.
