Fractional Cryosurgery for Skin Cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cryosurgical treatment of facial skin cancers 10 mm or larger in diameter can originate retractile scars that may alter physiognomic features. OBJECTIVES: To treat skin cancers 10 mm or larger in diameter on the face with a cryosurgical method that prevents retractile scars. Also, to clarify the differences between this method and Zacarian's segmental cryosurgery. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Fractional cryosurgery is performed in stages. First, the center of the lesion is frozen, reducing its size, then this procedure is repeated as necessary until the tumor diameter is smaller than 10 mm, at which point the standard cryosurgical procedure is performed. Eighty-seven basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and nine squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the face (65 of which were orbital or periocular) measuring between 9 and 45 mm were treated. RESULTS: The cure rate of BCCs was related to tumor size. All SCCs were cured without recurrence. Global mean follow-up was 4.5 years. CONCLUSION: Fractional cryosurgery does not cause deformity, and the final scar has no relation to the mass of the original tumor but instead corresponds to the size of the lesion preceding the last cryosurgical procedure.