Excision

The skin cancer is treated by numbing the area with a local anesthetic and then removing the skin cancer with a surgical knife (referred to as a scalpel). After the tumor is removed, the area is often closed with stitches. This is commonly used for basal cell carcinomas and for squamous cell carcinomas that can not be treated by curettage and electrodesiccation. This is the main treatment for early melanomas.