What if killing cancer was as easy as rubbing on a cream? "Basal cell carcinoma" skin cancer is the most common cancer. And many times it shows up on the face, leaving patients facing scarring surgery, but now there's another option.
When Jim Grottran got skin cancer, doctors removed the top of his nose.
"I went in four days later and they took this piece off my forehead and dropped it onto my nose," he said.
It took two years and several more surgeries for his face to heal. Seventy-five-year-old Mary Umek was told she needed the same procedure.
"She told me I had 100 percent skin cancer and I have to be operated as soon as possible immediately," said Umek.
Then she went to dermatologist Dr. Lydia Parker and found out about a cream.
"Basal cell skin cancer in particular has other options. If the skin cancer's not too deep and not in a high risk area it may do fine with just scraping it off or many patients today are favoring treatment with Aldara cream," said Parker.
Umek used the Aldara cream for six weeks. During that time, the cancer turns red and then scabs over.
"Ninety percent of the time the skin cancer is completely gone and most of the time there's no scar," said Parker.
"I really think it works and it is great," Umek.
The cream does nothing to healthy skin.
"Aldara cream will rev up your immune system boost your interferon levels where you apply the cream," said Parker.
The treatment only used in people with healthy immune systems it also requires a six-week commitment and during that time the cancer will become more noticeable.
Aldara is FDA approved for basal cell skin cancer, but not for melanoma.
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