At the Skin cancer clinic, the staff is skilled in dozens of specialties and work together to ensure quality care and successful recovery. At the skin cancer clinic near me, the SunDoctors Minyama and researchers are studying new ways to diagnose and treat skin cancer
Diagnosis
To Diagnose Skin Cancer The Doctor May
- Examine Your Skin – The doctor may look at your skin to determine whether your skin changes are likely to be skin cancer. More tests are done to confirm the diagnosis.
- Remove A Sample Of Suspicious Skin For A Test – The doctor may remove the suspicious-looking skin for lab testing. A biopsy determines whether you have skin cancer and what type of skin cancer it is.
Determining The Extent Of Skin Cancer
If the doctor determines your skin cancer you may have more tests to determine the extent or the stage of cancer. Because superficial skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma deadly spread, a biopsy that removes the entire growth is the only test needed to determine the cancer stage. But if you have large squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, or Melanoma the doctor may recommend for the test to determine the extent of cancer.
Additional tests may include imaging tests to examine nearby lymph nodes for signs of Cancer or procedure to remove nearby lymph nodes and tested for signs of Cancer. Doctors use Roman numerals I through IV to indicate the stage of Cancer. Stage I cancers are small and in the area where they began. Stage IV is the advanced stage that has spread to other areas of the body. The skin cancer’s stage determines which treatment option will be most effective.
Treatment
The treatment for skin cancer and precancerous skin lesions – actinic keratosis will vary depending on type, size, depth, and location of lesions. Small skin cancers limited to the skin surface may not require treatment beyond initial skin biopsy that removes entire growth, if additional treatment is required, options may include –
Freezing – The doctor may destroy actinic keratosis and some small, skin cancers by freezing them with liquid nitrogen.
Excisional Surgery – This treatment may be for any type of skin cancer. The doctor cuts out the cancerous tissue and the surrounding margin of healthy skin. A wide excision – removing extra skin around the tumor-can be recommended in some cases.
Mohs Surgery – This process is for larger, recurring, or difficult to treat skin cancers, which includes both Basal and squamous cell carcinomas. It is used in areas where it is necessary to conserve as much as possible, like on the nose. During the surgery the doctor removes the skin growth layer-by-layer, examining each layer under the microscope until no abnormal cells remain. This allows cancer cells to be removed without taking an excessive amount of surrounding healthy skin.
Cryotherapy – After removing most of the growth, the doctor scrapes away layers of cancer cells using a device with a circular blade. An electric needle destroys the remaining cancer cells. In a variation of this process liquid nitrogen can be used to freeze the base and edges of the treated area. This simple procedure may be used to treat basal cell cancer or thin squamous cell cancers.
Radiation therapy – Radiation therapy uses high power energy beams, like X rays to kill cancer cells. It may be an option when cancer can’t be completely removed during surgery.
Chemotherapy – in this, drugs are used to kill cancer cells. For cancers limited to the top layers of skin, lotions and creams containing anticancer agents may be applied directly to the skin. Systemic chemotherapy used to treat skin cancer spread to other parts of the body.
Photodynamic therapy – it destroys skin cancer cells with a combination of laser light and drugs that make cancer cells sensitive to light.
Conclusion
Make an appointment with a family doctor if you notice an unusual skin change that worries you. In some cases, you can be referred to a doctor Who specialises in skin diseases and conditions called Dermatologist. Because appointments are brief and there is often a lot of ground to cover, it is a good idea to be well prepared.