Skin Cancer
There are three primary types of skin cancer. Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Melanoma. Our practices treats all of three of these on a regular basis, and we also diagnose and treat more rare skin cancers.
Actinic Keratoses are a common precursor to basal or squamous cell carcinomas, and can be easily treated by in-office liquid nitrogen cryosurgical destruction.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in the world—top five by some metrics. It is also fortunate to have the least number of sad stories associated with it, so it often misses out on the headlines. If you believe you may have a Basal Cell Carcinoma—often an area of skin typically on the face or sun exposed skin which does not heal well—come in for a biopsy and we can help put your mind at ease.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The second most common skin cancer is Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and your risk of this cancer increases with the total amount of sun exposure you’ve had. Even if you don’t have much sun now, the sun you received during your childhood and young adulthood can contribute to new squamous cell carcinomas. Sometimes these can be fast growing and painful, but they are generally also relatively straightforward to treat.
Melanoma
Of the three main skin cancers, Melanoma is one of the more concerning ones as it can have a tendency to spread more easily than either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. Melanomas often start out as small dark spots which are flat, but they can also develop in a third dimension. If you have a new mole, or a long standing mole which is getting darker in just one area, please have the area checked promptly. We can make a large difference in survival rates if a melanoma is caught early.