Although many skin cancers these days can be effective treated with surgery free treatment options such as 'photodynamic therapy', surgery is still the preferred option for many cancers.

Skin cancers best treated with surgery include:

1. Types of skin cancers:
   • all malignant melanomas no matter whether 'early' or advanced'.
   • 'BCC' and 'SCC' skin cancers:
     • that have been there for at least a year.
     • that under the microscope show a deeper root pattern.
   
   
2. Cure rate although surgery-free skin cancer treatments cure many early skin cancers, surgery still tends to have the highest cure rate. No matter how experienced and well-trained the doctor, some form of scarring results from all skin cancer treatments. Some would rather have the highest possible cure rate even if that means some increased chance of scarring.
3. Convenience most skin cancers can be removed under local anaesthetic in less than one hour. Surgery tends to be quick and convenient. Surgery-free treatments such as PDT take several visits.
4. Cost because of Medicare rules, surgery compared to surgery-free treatments are relatively well subsidised. This means that patients' out of pocket costs for surgery to skin cancer tends to be less than that for surgery-free treatments.

Our specialists are experts in skin cancer surgery including for skin cancer on the face and including complicated 'flap' and 'graft' surgery.

At Clinic One you have the option to choose outpatient skin cancer surgery under local anaesthetic or inpatient surgery under light sedation/general anaesthetic in a day surgery/hospital.