Treatment Options for Eyelid Cancer

At Stanford, our specialists in dermatology and ophthalmology work closely together to care for patients who have skin cancer of the eyelid. Once you have gotten a diagnosis and stage for your cancer, we immediately begin planning your treatment.

Early detection and treatment can mean a better outcome for you. If found early while the tumor is still small, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell skin cancer of the eyelid are highly curable types of cancer.

Our highly-skilled and experienced oculoplastic surgeons diagnose and can treat eyelid cancer. We often collaborate with the dermatology team to first treat the eyelid cancer with Mohs surgery to remove the cancer cells. The oculoplastic surgeon then reconstructs the eyelid to restore its form and function.

Mohs Surgery for Skin Cancer of the Eyelid

Your ophthalmologist at the Byers Eye Institute works with our dermatology surgeons in Stanford's Mohs Surgery Clinic to coordinate the removal of your eyelid tumor. We use this procedure often because it is the most effective treatment for basal and squamous cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancers of the eyelid.

The technique enables us to remove all the cancerous cells—even those that grow deeper and are difficult to detect—while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Learn more about Mohs surgery at Stanford.

Plastic Surgery to Reconstruct the Eyelid

After your eyelid tumor has been removed, ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeons at the Byers Eye Institute reconstruct your eyelid using oculoplastic surgery. We have surgeons with years of training in this ophthalmologic subspecialty, which focuses on plastic and reconstructive surgery of the eye, eyelid, eye socket and surrounding structures.

Ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeons complete extensive ophthalmology training and an additional fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery to gain a thorough understanding of the eye structure and function. That means our oculoplastic surgeons have unique expertise and skills to reconstruct the eyelid and restore its delicate structure and complex function.

Comprehensive Care for Skin Cancer of the Eyelid

Our ophthalmologists work with Stanford pathologists who specialize in eye care and skin cancer to get their expert opinions throughout the process, especially if the cancer has spread. If a tumor is large and has grown into the sinuses, brain or other parts of the face, we work with cancer surgeons in other specialties to coordinate the patient's care.

Some patients may need additional therapy if they are not candidates for surgery for their eyelid cancer or if their cancer has spread. Learn more about radiation therapy and chemotherapy at Stanford.

To monitor your recovery and watch for any signs of recurrence or new lesions, our physicians follow up with you after your primary treatment is complete.

Eyelid Cancer Research and Clinical Trials at Stanford

What sets Stanford apart is our focus on research, as an academic medical center. Our eyelid cancer specialists participate in clinical trials to learn more about treatments for skin cancer and other conditions that affect the eye and surrounding tissues. Through these research trials, our patients can access the latest treatments that aren’t yet widely available.

Some treatments are available only at large academic medical centers like Stanford, such as vismodegib (Erivedge), a targeted therapy for BCC. This is the first drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use against advanced forms of the most common type of skin cancer affecting the eyelid and eye orbit. Vismodegib is an oral medication that targets specific molecules in BCC cells that are responsible for cell division, effectively stopping tumor growth.