A good doctor or clinic skilled in Mohs procedure will be a great benefit. Only as invasive as the cancer itself. They remove the cancer carefully, taking only as much tissue as needed and testing for cancer presence or lack thereof before proceeding further. The skill of the doctor when it comes to reconstructive surgery is an important factor to consider. There are 3 types of skin cancer. Basal cell, which is very localized, squamous, which is local in nature but can spread to nearby tissue at a faster rate, and melanoma which can spread to other organs and be devastating.

I, personally have had 7 basal cell cancers and one melanoma removed. My sisters have had more than myself, of all three kinds. We were all children of the sun growing up in Texas in the early 60's. It is not a pleasant experience, but it is not horrible. The removal is far simpler than the reconstructive surgery. Early detection is key. A skilled reconstructive surgeon is worth their weight in gold.

I unknowingly let mine get worse, unaware what they were. My sister finally convinced me to seek help. The doctor has to remove the cancerous tissue as far as it leads. I was lucky. I had most of the bottom right quarter of my nose and a dime sized part of my left ear removed. I also had smaller ones on my upper lip and left eyelid removed. The reconstructive surgery was not pleasant, but I must admit was not terribly painful. All done with local anesthetics. Two months later, you would never know anything had ever even happened. The first two weeks I looked like somebody beat the crap out of me.

If you have a persistent sore or what appears to be a pimple or boil that just won't go away, get to a dermatologist. Sooner is better.