Surgical management of facial skin cancer

Surgical excision is the gold standard for management of cutaneous basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. Surgical management of nonmelanotic facial skin cancer requires preoperative planning and an in-depth understanding of reconstructive techniques, including primary closure, skin grafting, and local tissue flaps. The decision regarding the method of treatment of nonmelanotic skin cancer is highly individualized and depends on patient age, cancer size, histologic subtype, and site. No single therapy or technique can be used in every situation. The goals of treatment include complete removal of the lesion with preservation of normal tissue, function, and cosmesis. In this article we discuss the principles and techniques of surgical excision and reconstruction of site-specific facial skin cancers.