A member asked:

If you have a skin cancer and you exfoliate the area, will it cause the skin cancer to spread or even go internal/to blood stream?

6 doctors weighed in across 3 answers

Depends : First rule in skin cancer treatment is to remove entire lesion with normal margins, you do not not ' exfoliate' . Basal cell cancers do not not spread out side, are locally invasive, squamous cell cancer, and melanomas will spread by incomplete removal.

Answered 6/20/2020

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Theoretically, yes: But unlikely. Most important, exfoliation is not a treatment for any kind of skin cancer. If you have a non-healing, enlarging, or irritated area, or an irregular, dark, asymmetric "mole" larger than a pencil eraser, excisional biopsy (not a shave biopsy ever for the latter dark possible melanoma) is needed. Exfoliation is for rough skin, not possible skin cancer-containing areas. See a doctor.

Answered 5/13/2013

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Dr. Travis Kidner answered

Specializes in Surgical Oncology

No: There is no evidence to support this claim.

Answered 3/17/2018

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