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Basal
Cell
Carcinoma
There are
several types of skin cancer, the most common being
Basal Cell carcinoma. Basal Cell carcinoma most often
occurs on the sun-exposed areas of the skin and may
look like an open sore, reddish patch, or waxy growth
with an elevated border and central indentation.
Treatment of Basal Cell cancer includes: excisional
surgery, electrosurgery, microscopically controlled
surgery and radiation
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Protecting
your skin
from the
sun and
skin cancer
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AOL Body |
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Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The second
most common type of skin cancer is Squamous Cell
carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma also occurs most
often on sun-exposed skin and may look like a scaly red
patch with irregular borders, a wart-like growth, or an
open sore. These cancers may bleed easily if bumped or
disturbed. Treatments for this type of cancer include:
excisional surgery, electrosurgery, radiation and
microscopically controlled surgery.
Melanoma Skin Cancer
The most
dangerous type of skin cancer is Melanoma. Melanoma may
occur on any area of the body and may resemble a mole,
but there are important differences. If you notice
changes in a mole you should contact a physician
immediately. A melanoma may present as an asymmetrical
lesion with an irregular border. If the color or
pigmentation of the area is not uniform, or if the
diameter of the area is greater than six millimeters,
these are also danger signs.
Types of
Lesions
In addition to these three types of skin cancer, there
are two types of lesions that have the potential to
progress into skin cancer. One type of pre-cancer is
Actinic Keratosis, which appears as a scaly or crusty
bump and can be treated with curettage and
electrodissection, shave removal, dermabrasion,
chemical peels, laser surgery, or topical medication.
The second type is Dysplastic Nevi. Dysplastic Nevi are
abnormal moles that resemble Melanoma and are often
asymmetrical in shape, have an irregular border, vary
in color, and are larger than normal moles. They should
be watched carefully for changes that may indicate
progressions to Melanoma.
It is important to remember that avoiding sun exposure
and tanning beds and wearing sunscreen with an SPF of
30 or higher can best prevent these types of skin
cancer.
Skin Cancer Treatment
Mohs Micrographic
Surgery
There are five standard methods for the treatment of
skin cancers. The two nonsurgical treatments are
cryotherapy (deep freezing) and radiation therapy. The
three surgical methods include simple excision,
physical destruction (curettage with
electrodesiccation) and Mohs micrographic surgery.
Newer methods under investigation include photodynamic
therapy and immunochemotherapy.
The treatment of each skin cancer must be
individualized, taking into consideration such factors
as patient's age, location of the cancer, type of
cancer and whether or not the cancer has been treated
previously. In some instances, more than one type of
therapy may be appropriate. But in most cases, only one
or two are necessary for a particular skin cancer.
After the removal of the visible portion of the tumor
by excision or curettage (debulking), there are two
basic steps to each Mohs Micrographic Surgery stage.
First, a thin layer of tissue is surgically excised
from the base of the site. This layer is generally only
1-2 mm larger than the clinical tumor. Next, this
tissue is processed in a unique manner and examined
underneath the microscope.
On the microscopic slides,
the entire bottom surface and
outside edges of the tissue
is
examined. This tissue has been marked to orient top to
bottom and left to right. If any tumor is seen during
the microscopic examination, its location is
established, and a thin layer of additional tissue is
excised from the involved area. The microscopic
examination is then repeated. The entire process is
repeated until no tumor is found.
Mohs Micrographic Surgery allows for the selective
removal of the skin cancer with the preservation of as
much of the surrounding normal tissue as is possible.
Because of this complete systematic microscopic search
for the "roots" of the skin cancer. Mohs Micrographic
Surgery offers the highest chance for complete removal
of the cancer while sparing the normal tissue. The cure
rate for new skin cancers exceeds 97%.
As a result, Mohs surgery is very useful and may be
recommended for the following types of cancer:
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When
the size or extent of the skin cancer cannot be
defined easily.
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When
the cancer is in a place, such as the nose,
eyelids, lips or ears, where it is desirable to
spare as much of the normal skin as possible.
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When
the cancer returns after being treated.
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When
the cancer is large.
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If you need more information or would like to schedule and appointment for a consultation, please click here to contact us or call one of our offices at: (212) 593-1818 New York
(516) 512-7616 Long Island |
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