Skin cancer treatment removes or destroys a cancer of the skin, most often basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma. Surgery is the main treatment for nearly all of them.
For the common non-melanoma cancers, complete removal cures the large majority. Melanoma is different: outcome depends on thickness and spread, and advanced disease needs oncology drugs over many months, which is not something to manage abroad.
What Skin Cancer Treatment involves
The diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy first. For standard excision the surgeon marks a safety margin around the tumour, numbs the area, cuts out an ellipse of skin down to fat and sends it to pathology to check the edges are clear. On the face, Mohs micrographic surgery or staged excision removes thin layers and checks each one under the microscope before closing, which spares healthy skin. The wound is closed directly, or with a local flap or skin graft if it is large. Melanoma is treated with a wider second excision, and a sentinel lymph node biopsy is added for thicker tumours.
Who is a good candidate for Skin Cancer Treatment?
It suits people with a biopsy-proven, localised skin cancer who are fit for a minor or intermediate operation.
- Basal cell carcinoma of any site
- Squamous cell carcinoma without spread
- Early melanoma needing wide local excision
- Precancerous lesions such as Bowen disease
- People who want reconstruction planned at the same time, for example on the nose or eyelid
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Melanoma that has spread and needs immunotherapy or targeted drugs over many months
- People without a biopsy result or staging
- Very frail patients in whom a slow tumour may be better treated with radiotherapy or observed
- Anyone unable to arrange skin surveillance at home afterwards
Technique options
- Wide local excision: The standard operation for most tumours, with margins set by cancer type.
- Mohs or staged margin-controlled surgery: For facial, recurrent or poorly defined tumours where tissue must be conserved.
- Curettage and cautery: For small, superficial, low-risk lesions on the trunk or limbs.
- Topical therapy or photodynamic therapy: For superficial basal cell carcinoma and sun damage; needs weeks of application or follow-up.
- Radiotherapy: An alternative when surgery is not suitable, given over several weeks.
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy: A staging step for melanoma above a certain thickness.
What happens during your treatment
Most excisions take 30 to 60 minutes under local anaesthetic, and you go home the same day. You feel pushing and pulling but not pain. Mohs surgery can take several hours because you wait while each layer is examined. Sentinel node biopsy and larger reconstructions are done under general anaesthetic.
Preparing for your trip
Plan for 7 to 10 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.
- Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
- Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
- Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
- Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly
Recovery and results
Stitches on the face come out at 5 to 7 days and on the body at 10 to 14 days. Bruising and swelling settle in 1 to 2 weeks. Grafts need about 2 weeks of careful dressing. Scars fade over 6 to 12 months. Final pathology confirming clear margins usually arrives within a week, and you should not leave before you know whether more surgery is needed.
- Back to everyday activity: A few days to 2 weeks
- When results show: Pathology within about a week
- How long they last: Cure in most non-melanoma cancers; lifelong skin checks needed
Safety, risks and revision policy
These are usually small operations, but the face is unforgiving and cancer can return.
- Incomplete removal needing a second operation
- Recurrence at the same site
- Bleeding, infection or wound breakdown
- Visible scar or distortion of an eyelid, lip or nostril
- Graft or flap failure
- Numbness from cut skin nerves
- Lymph fluid collection after node biopsy
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Skin Cancer Treatment in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Skin Cancer Treatment, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Tumour type, size and site
- Standard excision versus Mohs surgery
- Whether a flap, graft or general anaesthetic is needed
- Pathology, staging scans and sentinel node biopsy
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need follow-up after I go home?
Yes. Anyone who has had one skin cancer is at higher risk of another. Arrange skin checks with a dermatologist at home, usually every 6 to 12 months.
Is it sensible to travel for this?
For a defined, biopsy-proven tumour needing excision and reconstruction, yes. For advanced melanoma needing ongoing drug treatment, no.
Can it be treated with cream instead?
Only some superficial, low-risk lesions. The dermatologist will say whether yours qualifies.