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Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells. There are a variety of different kinds of skin cancer but the three most common are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. A change in a mole or birthmark, or a new, suspicious mole may be a sign of an evolving melanoma. This cancer is aggressive but can be cured if caught in its early stages. A doctor should examine all suspicious-looking skin lesions or changes in moles and birthmarks.
Basal cell carcinoma cancers don’t usually spread to other parts of the body. They can, however, grow deeply into the skin and sometimes invade muscles and bones. Squamous cell carcinomas can grow very quickly and spread to lymph nodes.
Surgical removal is the most common way to treat skin cancer. Surgical treatments include electrosurgery, cryosurgery, laser conventional excisional surgery and Mohs surgery. Novel nonsurgical topical creams containing drugs that alter the skin’s immune defense to skin cancers are now available. Our Skin Cancer Program made significant contributions to the development of these products and we provide these and other therapeutic advances to our patients before they are available to the public. If a skin cancer is in advanced stages, other treatments may also be needed, such as interferon therapy, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Please visit the Health Library to learn more about skin cancer.
