Squamous cell carcinoma in situ

Treatments for Bowen's disease

There are a number of treatment options for Bowen's disease.Talk to your dermatologist about which treatment is most suitable for you.

The main treatments are:

cryotherapy liquid nitrogen is sprayed on to the affected skin to freeze it. The procedure may be painful and the skin may remain a bit uncomfortable for a few days. The affected skinwill scab over andfall off within a few weeks.
imiquimod cream or chemotherapy cream (such as 5-fluorouracil) this is applied to the affected skinregularlyfor a few weeks. It may cause your skin to become red and inflamed before it gets better.
curettage and cautery the affected area of skin is scraped away under local anaesthetic , where the skin isnumbed, and heat or electricity is used to stop any bleeding, leaving the area to scab over and heal after a few weeks.
photodynamic therapy (PDT) a light-sensitive cream is applied to the affected skin, anda laser is directed on to the skin a few hours later to destroy the abnormal cells. The treatment session lasts about 20-45 minutes. You may need more than one session.
surgery theabnormal skin is cut out under local anaesthetic and stitches may be needed afterwards.

In a few cases, your dermatologist may just advise monitoring your skin closely for example, if it's very slow-growing andthey feel the side effects of treatmentwill outweigh the benefits.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for squamous cell carcinoma in situ

Introduction

Find out about the symptoms, causes and treatments for Bowen's disease, a very early and easily treatable form of skin cancer.

Is Bowen's disease serious?

Bowen's disease itself isn't usually serious. It tends to grow very slowly over months or years, and there are several very effective treatments for it. The concern is that Bowen's disease can eventu

Symptoms of Bowen's disease

Bowen's disease usually appears as a patch on the skin that has clear edges and doesn't heal. Some people have more than one patch. The patch may be: red or pink scaly or crusty flat or raised

When to get medical advice

See your GP if you have a persistent red, scaly patch of skin and don't know the cause. It's important to get a proper diagnosis, as Bowen's disease can look like other conditions, such as psoriasis

Causes of Bowen's disease

Bowen's disease usually affects older people in their 60s and 70s. The exact cause is unclear, but it has been closely linked with: long-term exposure to the sun or use of sunbeds especially in p

Treatments for Bowen's disease

There are a number of treatment options for Bowen's disease.Talk to your dermatologist about which treatment is most suitable for you. The main treatments are: cryotherapy liquid nitrogen is spra

Looking after your skin after treatment

After treatment, you may need follow-up appointmentswith your dermatologist or GP to see if you need any further treatment. If you had surgery, youmay need to haveany stitches removed at your GP surg

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