The Skin Cancer Culprit

The most common skin cancer culprit is the sun (UV rays). Your greatest defense is sun protection. Your best remedy is early detection. Contact Aspen Dermatology immediately for early diagnosis and treatment.

Types of Skin Cancer

• Most common: Basal cell carcinoma (cancer of cells below skin’s surface)
• Squamous cell carcinoma (cancer of cells on skin’s surface)
• Melanoma (cancer of melanocytes, or the pigment cells)
• Merkel cell carcinoma (cancer of the “touch” cells)
• Other types include Kaposi’s sarcoma or lymphoma of the skin

Signs of Skin Cancer

Watch for changes to freckles and moles, red or purple patches, lesions, itchy or ulcerating blemishes, dark spots, or other abnormal skin growths.

Early-Stage Cancers and SRT

• Cryosurgery (freezing) is used for minor blemishes or small, early-stage cancers.
• Curettage/electrodesiccation or cryotherapy scrapes, electrocutes, or freezes remaining cancer cells post-excision.
• Superficial Radiotherapy (SRT) is pain-free and 95+% effective, using a specially calibrated dose of radiation to safely destroy cancer cells.

Excisional vs. Mohs Surgery

Where excisional surgery uses a wide excision to include a margin of healthy tissue along with the cancerous, Mohs surgery removes and inspects tissue layer by layer to conserve as much healthy tissue as possible, which is especially important when treating the face.