Overview

Diagnosis

A skin cancer diagnosis typically begins with a thorough skin exam by a healthcare professional. They may remove a small sample of skin to test for cancer.

Skin cancer exam

  • Your provider will ask about symptoms and examine your skin for unusual growths or changes.

Skin cancer biopsy

  • A biopsy involves removing a small piece of skin for laboratory testing.

  • The area is numbed with local anesthesia to prevent pain.

  • The sample is analyzed to determine if cancer cells are present.

Skin cancer staging tests

  • Staging determines whether the cancer has spread and its size. Not all skin cancers require staging.

  • Staging is more common for melanoma or large cancers.

Tests may include:

  • Imaging tests: CT scans or MRI scans create detailed images to evaluate cancer spread.

  • Sentinel lymph node biopsy: Lymph nodes most likely to be affected by cancer are removed and tested.

Skin cancer stages

  • Stages range from 0 to 4, with lower numbers indicating small, localized cancers and higher numbers indicating deeper or spreading cancers.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the type, stage, and location of the skin cancer. Options include surgical removal, topical treatments, and more advanced therapies.

Skin cancer treatments

  • Skin creams: Medications applied directly to the cancerous area.

  • Curettage and electrodessication: Scraping the cancer followed by cauterization of the base.

  • Photodynamic therapy: Combines a photosensitizing medicine with light to destroy cancer cells.

  • Surgery: Removal of the cancer along with some surrounding healthy tissue.

  • Mohs surgery: Layer-by-layer removal and microscopic examination to conserve healthy tissue.

  • Radiation therapy: Uses high-energy beams to target cancer cells.

  • Chemotherapy: Strong medicines to destroy cancer cells systemically.

  • Targeted therapy: Drugs that block specific chemicals in cancer cells to induce cell death.

  • Immunotherapy: Medicines that help the immune system detect and kill cancer cells that hide from normal immune responses.

Request an appointment

Advertisement

Advertisement