Skin cancer treatment in Amman: Doctors and Clinics

Skin cancer is an uncontrolled growth of skin cells. Three types dominate: basal cell carcinoma, the commonest and slowest to spread; squamous cell carcinoma; and melanoma, the least common but the most dangerous because it can spread early. Treatment always begins with a confirmed diagnosis — clinical examination, dermoscopy, then a biopsy read in the laboratory. No blood test diagnoses skin cancer, and no treatment should ever be started on suspicion alone.

The options depend on the type, size, depth and site of the tumour and on the patient's general health. Surgical excision with a clear margin is the mainstay in most cases. For tumours on the face, around the eye, nose or ear, for recurrent lesions, or where the borders are ill-defined, Mohs surgery is used: the margin is examined under the microscope during the same session and excision is repeated layer by layer until the edges are clear, sparing as much healthy tissue as possible. Curettage with electrodesiccation suits some small superficial tumours; topical agents that stimulate immunity or block cell division are used for very superficial forms; cryotherapy has a role in selected cases; and radiotherapy is offered to people unfit for surgery. In advanced disease, immune and targeted systemic therapies are prescribed in specialist centres, and they require baseline investigations and close laboratory monitoring because they affect other organs.

The limits should be clear. Removing one tumour does not prevent another, and anyone who has had a skin cancer remains at higher risk and needs long-term surveillance. Topical treatments and cryotherapy are wrong for deep tumours and for melanoma; used inappropriately they clear the surface while the tumour continues to grow underneath. No cream, herbal recipe or caustic paste treats skin cancer, and home burning causes disfigurement and a dangerous delay in diagnosis.

Prevention is part of treatment: avoid midday sun, use and reapply a high-factor sunscreen, cover with clothing, hat and sunglasses, and never use tanning beds. Repeated sunburn — especially in childhood and on summer trips to the Dead Sea and Aqaba — is one of the most modifiable risk factors, and there is no such thing as a healthy tan. People living with albinism or marked light sensitivity need strict protection and regular lifelong skin checks.

One myth needs correcting: skin cancer is not confined to fair skin. In darker skin it often appears where the sun never reaches — the sole, the heel, under the nails and between the toes — and is therefore found late. Any new dark patch, a dark streak under a nail, or a foot sore that will not heal needs immediate examination.