Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is more common than all other forms of cancer combined. In fact, skin cancer is so common that it is reported separately from all other forms of cancer because of the way that skin cancer skews the other cancer data. Basal cell cancers are the most common types of skin cancer arising from the “basal” layer of the epidermis. Squamous cell cancers are the second most common type of skin cancer arising higher up in the epidermis. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer and its treatment involves a team of physicians including an oncologist (cancer specialist).
Sun and UV light avoidance are the best ways to prevent skin cancer. Although being sun smart helps, there are no guarantees to being skin cancer free. If you develop a skin cancer, there are many treatment options at your disposal. Surgical options include: surgery utilizing the MOHS technique to spare tissue, standard surgical excision with margins of safety, or burning and scraping the tissue with the electrodessication and curettage technique in less cosmetically sensitive areas. There are newly approved oral treatments that can be used in advanced basal cell cancers. For people who are not surgical candidates or who have skin cancers in difficult to treat areas, radiation therapy can be used to melt skin cancer tumors away. Additionally, there are a number of FDA approved treatment creams for Basal and Squamous cell cancers, which do not require surgery.