Restore Your Health,
Confidence, and Peace-of-Mind

A cancer diagnosis is one of the most difficult — if not seemingly impossible — challenges you might ever face. While skin cancer surgery is an essential step towards restoring your health and regaining your confidence, Chicago Skin Clinic recognizes the impact that skin cancer can have on your physical and emotional well-being.

That’s why Dr. Danny Del Campo and Dr. Danilo Del Campo are dedicated to providing you with personalized, compassionate, patient-centered care to ensure the best possible outcome for you and all their patient at their Chicago office.

What Is Skin Cancer Removal Surgery?

Skin cancer removal surgery, also known as surgical excision, is a procedure performed to remove cancerous cells or growths from the skin. This type of surgery is typically recommended when non-invasive treatments such as topical creams or phototherapy are not sufficient to eliminate the cancerous cells.

There are two types of cell cancers that may require surgical removal:

  • Basal cell cancer (BCC): This type of cancerous cell is less likely to become aggressive and can be treated in its earliest stages with medicated creams containing imiquimod or the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, if the BCC does become aggressive, our doctors may use surgery and other therapies to treat it.
  • Squamous cell cancer (SCC): This type of cancerous cell can be aggressive, which may require our surgeons to remove more tissue than with basal cell cancer. Dr. Danny Del Campo and Dr. Danilo Del Campo may also recommend additional treatments for advanced squamous cell cancer, such as medications or radiation therapy.

At Chicago Skin Clinic, our goal is to not only remove the cancerous cells but also to minimize scarring and preserve your natural appearance. Dr. Danny Del Campo and Dr. Danilo Del Campo combine advanced surgical techniques, meticulous precision, and decades of experience to ensure your health, safety, and self-confidence.

Surgical Procedures for Basal & Squamous Cell Skin Cancers

At Chicago Skin Clinic, we specialize in various surgical techniques to effectively remove skin cancer and ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients — so you can feel comfortable, secure, and confident that you’re in the hands of highly skilled surgeons like Dr. Danny Del Campo and Dr. Danilo Del Campo.

What to Expect

During skin cancer removal surgery, Dr. Danny Del Campo or Dr. Danilo Del Campo will:

  • Administer local anesthesia to ensure your comfort during the procedure
  • Carefully remove the cancerous cells, ensuring clear margins around the affected area
  • Close the incision using advanced techniques to minimize scarring and promote optimal healing

Types of Skin Cancer Removal Surgery

Depending on the type, size, and location of the skin cancer, different surgical techniques may be employed. These include:

Standard Excision

In this biopsy procedure, Dr. Danny Del Campo or Dr. Danilo Del Campo will remove the tumor along with a margin of healthy skin around it.

Our dermatologists will then examine the skin biopsy as well as the healthy skin to determine whether the normal-looking skin is free of cancer cells.

If the healthy skin isn’t free of cancer cells, our dermatologists will need to remove more skin for further testing before carefully stitching the remaining skin back together.

Curettage & Electrodessication

This treatment will require Dr. Danny Del Campo or Dr. Danilo Del Campo to remove the cancer by scraping the tumor away with a curette — a thin instrument with a sharp, looped edge on one end — before treating the area with an electric needle, or electrode, to destroy any remaining cancer cells.

This process is often repeated once or twice during the same office visit. Curettage and electrodesiccation works well on superficial — meaning confined to the top layer of skin — basal cell and squamous cell cancers.

Other Surgery Types

  • Cryosurgery: This treatment uses liquid nitrogen to freeze cancer cells, causing the cells to die.
  • Laser Surgery: During this procedure, our dermatologists will use laser beams to vaporize or cut away the cancerous tissue.

Mohs Surgery

Mohs (pronounced “moes”) is a specialized surgery used to remove some skin cancers. This procedure offers the highest cure rate for difficult-to-treat basal and squamous cell cancers.

If Dr. Danny Del Campo or Dr. Danilo Del Campo recommend Mohs, they’ll precisely remove the thin layers of skin cancer tissue, or tumor, plus a small amount of normal-looking skin surrounding the tumor.

Our dermatologists will then use a microscope to examine each layer of the removed skin until no cancer cells are detected. If necessary, your dermatologist will continue to remove a very small amount of skin to examine under a microscope until he no longer detects any cancer cells in the skin sample.

This technique is especially beneficial for cancers in cosmetically sensitive areas — such as your face, nose, eyelids, lips, or ears — or cancer spots with ill-define borders.

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Early Detection Is Key

Most basal cell cancers can be cured, especially when the cancer is found early and treated. Early treatment can also cure most squamous cell cancers. When allowed to grow, SCC can dig deep, destroying tissue and even bone.

In some cases, SCC can spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body, causing more serious health problems.

Schedule Your Skin Cancer Consultation Today

If you’re concerned about an abnormal growth, spot, or bump on your skin — or you’ve noticed a mole that’s suddenly changed color or shape — schedule a consultation at our Chicago office.

Dr. Danny Del Campo and Dr. Danilo Del Campo will evaluate your specific condition and recommend the most appropriate surgical approach for your skin cancer removal. Our priority is to not only eliminate the potential cancer spot but also to preserve your skin's appearance and promote optimal healing.