• Electrocoagulation and curettage. Operation in which the lesion is burned and then removed with a cutting instrument.
  • Cryosurgery. Operation in which the tumour is frozen and destroyed.
  • Micrographic surgery. Operation in which the cancer is removed along with the smallest amount of normal tissue possible. During this form of surgery, the doctor removes the cancer and then immediately uses a microscope to examine what has been removed to ensure no cancer cells remain.
  • Laser beam. In this procedure, a narrow light beam is used to eliminate cancer cells.
  • Simple removal. Operation in which the skin cancer is removed alongside part of the surrounding healthy tissue.

Surgery may leave a scar on the skin. Depending on the size of the cancer, skin from another part of the body may be grafted onto the area where the cancer was removed from. There are different surgical methods and plasties that can reduce scarring.