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Skin Cancers
Most of skin cancers are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation and also from artificial light, such as tanning booths. Anyone can get skin cancer, but skin cancer most often occurs in…
There are multiple treatment options for skin cancers depending on the type:
- The fair-skinned: Fair skin freckles very easily, blisters easily when exposed to the sun, and it is often seen with light-colored hair and a lot of moles on the body.
- The outdoorsy: Farmers, for example, commonly have skin cancer occurrences on their faces and ears.
- Those who live near the Equator or at higher altitudes where there is intense sunlight.
- Those who get radiation treatments for other problems.
- The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. It is the least dangerous and it does not spread beyond its original site. This type of cancer is not life threatening.
- Squamous cell carcinoma is the next most common after basal cell carcinoma. It is very common on the face and ears. It involves lymph nodes and other internal organs. If it is not treated, squamous cell carcinoma can become life threatening.
- Malignant melanoma is very common in Sunbelt states. It can spread throughout the body, and it is also life threatening if not detected early enough.
- Moles and keratoses are other types of skin growths. There are different types of keratoses, including solar (actinic) keratosis. Some of the keratoses can change into basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
There are multiple treatment options for skin cancers depending on the type:
- Superficial basal cell carcinoma can be treated with topical chemotherapeutic agents.
- Squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma can be treated with surgery.
- Moles and keratoses can be treated with curettage and cauterization or cryosurgery or Mohs chemosurgery and reconstruction surgery from our plastic surgery services which they usually do excision or reconstruction at the same operative sitting. Dr. Mishra usually performs these procedures as an outpatient surgical procedure with followup at the office for suture removal and further care.
