Curette & Cautery

Curette and cautery (C & C) is a technique that involves scraping off the cancerous tissue with a sharp tool (curette) followed by cauterization to stop bleeding and destroy remaining cancer cells. 

This method is suitable for some superficial BCCs and SCCs, particularly in areas where surgery may be challenging. 

After numbing the area with local anaesthetic the tissue is spooned or scrapped using an instrument known as a curette. This tissue is then sent to the pathologist to be looked at under the microscope. The wound bed is then treated with heat via an electrosurgical unit known as diathermy. This heat stops any bleeding but also destroys any remaining tumour cells from where the tissue has been scooped away. This process of scrapping and heating is repeated 2-3 times. Other than the injection for the local anaesthetic, C&C is considered painless. There may be some mild discomfort and swelling in the hours following but this usually resolves quickly.