Skin cancer self treatment options are becoming more accessible online and the unsuspecting patient’s purchasing them have no idea how hazardous it really can be instead of beneficial.

Dr. Adam Friedman, Director of Dermatological Research at Einstein College of Medicine in NY, explains it best:

• Now there is evidence that some of the treatment products found online may be helpful if used purposefully, safely and in the right way.
• But when people find these treatments over the Internet and don’t know what they’re getting or what they’re doing, it can be very dangerous.
• Medicine is not about throwing a dart at a dartboard and hoping for the best,” he said. “Because while you may end up treating a cancer, you may also end up burning a hole through your face.

Unfortunately many patients are turning to alternative treatment options. While they feel they may get a cure, the reality is the cancer may continue to progress underneath the skin. Skin cancers are very elusive and they spread beneath the top layer of the skin. Many creams and lotions may give the false impression that the cancer is cured when in fact it is not.

It may have improve the superficial texture and tone of the skin giving the illusion of improvement on the surface level but not at the deeper level where the cancer is spreading. The downside to some of these creams that they are cosmetically disfiguring. Some of these chemicals touted on the Internet actually eat away at the top layer of skin causing significant damage and destruction creating a permanent visible scar .  In these severe cases, there are cases of improvement however the cosmetic results  are typically not acceptable to most patients.

If you are looking for an alternative or natural pathway, some of our patients bring in their creams and lotions and we monitor them during their treatment to measure and determine if the cancer is eradicated or not. We work with our patients to  provide them the very best dermatological and surgical care and if needed in a nonsurgical  or alternative manner that suits their lifestyle.