Cryotherapy for skin cancer: results over a 5‐year period using liquid nitrogen spray cryosurgery

Three hundred and ninety five selected non‐melanoma skin cancers were treated and followed up during the period 1981–1986, using a standardized cryosurgical technique. There was an overall cure rate of 97%. Recurrences were seen in 6 out of 225 (2.7%) treated basal cell carcinomas at a median time of 18 months, I of 34 (2.9%) squamous cell carcinomas, with a recurrence at 6 months post‐operatively and I out of 128 (0.8%) of Bowen's tumours which recurred 6 months after treatment. The patients were treated as out‐patients using local anaesthesia and all tolerated the treatment well.

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