The short answer
Both basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer are usually treated successfully, most often in an outpatient setting. The tumor's size, location and depth decide the method more than which of the two types you have, and having one raises the odds of another, so skin checks continue afterwards.
Simple excision removes the tumor with a margin of normal-looking skin, and suits areas where a slightly larger scar is not a concern.
Mohs surgery takes thin layers and checks each under a microscope, sparing tissue on the face and where a tumor's borders are hard to see.
Fluorouracil and imiquimod creams, curettage with electrodesiccation, and external radiation cover tumors that do not call for cutting.
Advanced basal cell carcinoma may be treated with vismodegib or sonidegib, while advanced squamous cell carcinoma may be treated with cemiplimab or pembrolizumab.
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The full explanation.
The short answer
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common types of skin cancer. Both are usually treated successfully. Treatment often happens in an outpatient setting. Which option your team recommends depends on the tumor's size, location, and how deep it goes. This matters more than which of the two types you have.
Simple excision
Simple excision removes the tumor along with a margin of normal-looking skin around it. This margin helps make sure no cancer cells are left behind. It is a common first choice for many tumors. It works especially well on parts of the body where a slightly larger scar is not a major concern.
Mohs surgery for tricky spots
Mohs micrographic surgery removes the tumor in thin layers. Each layer is checked under a microscope before the next one is taken. This lets your surgeon remove all the cancer while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible. It is often used on the face, or other areas where preserving tissue and appearance matters most. It also helps when a tumor's borders are hard to see.
Curettage and electrodesiccation
In this approach, your doctor scrapes away the tumor with a small tool called a curette. An electric current then seals the area and destroys any remaining cancer cells. Doctors may repeat this scrape-and-seal step more than once during the same visit. It works well for certain smaller, lower-risk tumors.
Radiation therapy
External radiation uses high-energy x-rays delivered by a machine outside your body. It is an option when surgery is not a good fit. This can happen because of the tumor's location, or a person's overall health.
Topical and targeted drug options
Fluorouracil cream, also called 5-FU, is a topical chemotherapy applied directly to the skin. It is used for some basal cell carcinomas. Imiquimod cream works differently. It stimulates your immune system to attack the cancer, and it is also used for certain basal cell cases. For advanced or spreading basal cell carcinoma, hedgehog pathway inhibitor drugs are an option. These include vismodegib and sonidegib. They block a specific signal these cancer cells rely on to grow.
Immunotherapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma
Advanced or spreading squamous cell carcinoma can be treated with immunotherapy. Drugs called PD-1 inhibitors, including cemiplimab and pembrolizumab, help your immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. These are generally reserved for cases that cannot be treated with surgery or radiation alone.
What to expect during recovery
Most basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer treatments happen without an overnight hospital stay. Healing time depends on the size and location of the treated area. A small area on an arm heals differently than a larger area on the face. Ask your team what your specific healing timeline looks like. Also ask what wound care you will need at home.
Which symptoms cannot wait
Contact your care team the same day for a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. Also call for signs of infection at a treated site, such as growing redness, warmth, swelling, or pus. These need prompt evaluation, not a wait for your next scheduled visit.
Chemotherapy shifts that fever line. Anyone who has had a dose in the past few weeks should treat 100.4°F (38°C) as a medical emergency, which is how the CDC describes it: phone the oncology team straight away at any hour, and use an emergency department if nobody can be reached.
Bleeding is the exception. If a treated site keeps bleeding after 15 minutes of firm, unbroken pressure, or soaks through dressings, call 911 or go to an emergency department instead of waiting for a callback.
Why follow-up still matters after treatment
Having one basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer raises your risk of developing another one, in a different spot, later on. Regular skin checks with your dermatologist after treatment are how new cancers get caught early, when they are easiest to treat. Ask how often you should be checked going forward.
What to ask your care team
- Which treatment do you recommend for my specific tumor, and why this one over the others?
- What will my scar or healing look like, and how long will recovery take?
- Am I a candidate for a less invasive option, like topical treatment or curettage?
- How often should I have skin checks after this treatment?
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Common questions
What decides which treatment I am offered?
Which option your team recommends depends on the tumor's size, location, and how deep it goes. That matters more than which of the two types you have. Both basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are usually treated successfully, and treatment often happens in an outpatient setting.
When is Mohs surgery used?
Mohs micrographic surgery removes the tumor in thin layers, with each layer checked under a microscope before the next one is taken. That lets the surgeon remove all the cancer while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible. It is often used on the face, or other areas where preserving tissue and appearance matters most, and it helps when a tumor's borders are hard to see.
Are there options that are not surgery?
Yes, for some tumors. External radiation uses high-energy x-rays from a machine outside your body, and is an option when surgery is not a good fit because of the tumor's location or a person's overall health. Fluorouracil cream, also called 5-FU, is a topical chemotherapy used for some basal cell carcinomas, and imiquimod cream works differently by stimulating the immune system to attack the cancer.
What is used for advanced or spreading disease?
For advanced or spreading basal cell carcinoma, hedgehog pathway inhibitors such as vismodegib and sonidegib block a specific signal those cancer cells rely on to grow. For advanced or spreading squamous cell carcinoma, PD-1 inhibitors such as cemiplimab and pembrolizumab help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. These are generally reserved for cases that cannot be treated with surgery or radiation alone.
Which symptoms need a same-day call?
Contact your care team the same day for a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or for signs of infection at a treated site such as growing redness, warmth, swelling or pus. These need prompt evaluation, not a wait for your next scheduled visit. If chemotherapy is part of your treatment, that same fever is a medical emergency instead: call your team immediately, day or night. Bleeding from a treated site that keeps going after 15 minutes of firm, unbroken pressure is not a same-day call — get emergency care for that.
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-22 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-19Next planned review: 2027-01-22
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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