About Skin Cancer

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in the United States with several million tumors diagnosed annually. Fortunately, basal cell carcinoma almost never spreads to distant parts of the body and can usually be cured with a surgical procedure under local anesthesia in one day — almost never requiring chemotherapy or radiation.

Without treatment, basal cell carcinomas continue to grow, sometimes spreading more beneath the skin than on the surface. If left untreated, a basal cell carcinoma may require more aggressive interventions to remove. Very rarely, basal cell carcinoma can spread to other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes and lungs.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer with more than a million tumors diagnosed in the United States annually. Both squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma originate from the same skin cell called the keratinocyte, which constitutes the majority of the epidermis — the tissue-paper-thin top layer of our skin.

Squamous cell carcinoma is also usually removed with a surgical procedure under local anesthesia in one day. While it is unusual for squamous cell carcinoma to spread, it does happen more frequently than with basal cell carcinoma. Factors that increase the likelihood of spreading include large tumor size and a weakened immune system, such as in patients with a history of organ transplant.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. It develops from melanocytes — the cells responsible for producing pigment in our skin. While melanoma accounts for a small percentage of skin cancer diagnoses, it is responsible for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths due to its ability to spread to other parts of the body if not caught early.

Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, including areas that do not receive regular sun exposure. It most commonly appears as a new or changing mole with irregular borders, uneven color, or a diameter larger than a pencil eraser. The ABCDE rule — Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter, and Evolving — is a helpful guide for identifying suspicious lesions.

Early detection is critical. When caught in its earliest stages, melanoma is highly treatable with surgical excision. More advanced melanomas may require additional treatments such as sentinel lymph node biopsy, immunotherapy, or radiation. Dr. Lopez has extensive training in the diagnosis and surgical management of melanoma, including Mohs surgery for appropriate melanoma subtypes such as lentigo maligna and melanoma in situ on cosmetically sensitive areas.

Mohs surgery offers the highest possible cure rate for both squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma — up to 99%. Mohs surgery is also the only treatment to examine 100% of the tissue margin, ensuring the highest level of confidence that the tumor has been completely removed.

There are other treatment options such as electrodessication and curettage (a scraping and burning procedure) and certain topical creams that may be appropriate for thin, lower-risk tumors in non-cosmetically-sensitive areas. Dr. Lopez will work with you and your referring physician to determine the best treatment approach for your specific situation.