Cancer can develop anywhere on the body, even the lips and face. When treating cancer on the face, care must be taken to avoid any unnecessary collateral damage from treatment methods that could inadvertently compromise the safety of the other sense organs present on the head.
Skin Cancer
According to Medline Plus, there are three main types of skin cancer, categorized depending on the type of cell from which the cancer originates. Basal cell develops from skin in the lowest portion of the epidermis and is the most common type of skin cancer. Squamous cell develops in the middle portion of the epidermis. Finally, melanoma develops in the cells that produce skin pigmentation. The main symptom of skin cancer is any irregular growth on the surface of the skin.
Treatment Methods
Dealing with tumors on the face is difficult, as care must be taken to not damage any of the surrounding facial musculature of organs. When the tumor is small, surgery is an option. When the tumor has spread throughout the body, radiation therapy is often used to shrink the tumor's size and allow for a delay in the cancer's progression.
Radiation Treatment
The theory behind radiation treatment is that by applying targeted high-frequency radiation to the surface area, the genetic material contained within the cancer cell will be damaged, rendering it unable to continue reproducing. While radiation therapy is primarily used to shrink tumors, it can also be used to reduce the resultant pain from cancer in advanced cases.
Radiation Types
There are two main types of radiation treatment, but only one is truly viable for cancers on the face. The first type is implantation of small devices containing radioactive material into the tumor itself. This method is generally not preferred for face cancers. The second--and more favorable--method is the application of radiation from an external source, such as an x-ray or gamma ray machine.
Considerations
As physicians will only want to apply radiation directly to the infected area while leaving the rest of your face unaffected, a shielding mask is often used during application of the radioactive treatment to protect the rest of the face. Even so, there are side effects that come with radiation therapy. According to the American Cancer Society, these include fatigue, nausea and irritation to the skin.
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