Skin Cancer

What is basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma is the most frequently occurring kind of skin cancer. This type of skin cancer develops due to sun exposure or indoor tanning lamp exposure. Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a small pink or pearly-white bump, but it can also resemble a mole. The majority of basal cell carcinomas grow on the face, the neck, or the arms.

What is squamous cell carcinoma?

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common kind of skin cancer. It develops after overexposure to UV rays. Squamous cell carcinoma usually grows on the face, ears, scalp, and hands. Squamous cell carcinoma usually grows in flat patches or slight lumps, and it's usually brown or red in color.

What is melanoma?

Although melanoma is the least-commonly occurring of all skin cancers, the number of yearly melanoma diagnoses has gone up by over 50% in the last decade. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

As with other types of skin cancer, melanoma is usually caused by sun exposure. Melanoma often develops inside an existing mole. If that happens, the mole will grow larger, change colors, or change shapes. Sometimes, melanoma is a new mole, typically brown or black in color. Although melanoma is serious, it's also treatable if diagnosed early enough.

How is skin cancer diagnosed?

If you have a suspected skin cancer growth, your dermatologist will do a skin exam followed by a biopsy. A biopsy, a quick procedure in which your doctor will take a small cell sample for testing, is the most reliable way to diagnose skin cancer.

What is the treatment for skin cancer?

Treatment options include:

Surgical removal

Surgical removal of the entire growth is done as an outpatient procedure.

Mohs surgery

Precise incremental removal of the cancer is performed by Mohs surgeon Dr. Wendy Long.

Radiation

Radiation may be helpful for moles that keep returning after removal, or for cancerous moles that have a high chance of recurrence.

Even with effective cancer treatments available, prevention reigns supreme. The Manhattan Dermatology team highly recommends yearly skin cancer checks to diagnose and treat cancer as early as possible.

Worried about skin cancer? Book your visit online or by phone now.

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