Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, but doctors can cure this disease when they catch it at an early stage. The doctors at Choice Cancer Care have extensive experience treating skin cancer, whether at an early stage or when you need more intensive treatment after the cancer spreads. At the first sign of new skin lesions or changes in existing moles, call one of the offices in Plano, Lewisville, Irving, or Southlake, Texas, or book an appointment online right away.
Skin cancer develops when cells in your skin grow more rapidly than usual. This excessive growth occurs from long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, whether it comes from natural sunlight or a tanning bed.
Your risk of getting skin cancer increases if you have:
Your cumulative exposure to UV light over your lifetime significantly affects your risk of developing skin cancer.
The three primary types of skin cancer have unique symptoms, and some can appear in different forms:
Basal cell carcinoma often appears as a raised pink bump that forms a crust. It could also be a red or white bump, and in some cases, it causes an open sore that bleeds, oozes, and then develops a crust.
Squamous cell carcinoma typically starts as a benign skin condition called actinic keratosis. Actinic keratoses are dry, rough patches of skin that may appear tan, brown, pink, red, or skin-colored. Without treatment, these patches can turn into cancer.
Melanoma has the distinction of being the least common but the most dangerous skin cancer. While the other two skin cancers seldom spread, melanoma can metastasize through your body, where it’s hard to treat.
Melanoma most often begins in an existing noncancerous mole. If you see changes in a mole’s shape, size, or color, or if a mole has uneven colors or an irregular border, it’s time to have it checked by a doctor.
Your doctor removes the lesion and sends the tissue to a pathology lab. In many cases, the biopsy eliminates all the cancer cells, and you don’t need further treatment.
If the lab report shows cancer cells remain, the team at Choice Cancer Care stages your cancer using in-office PET/CT imaging.
Staging shows the tumor’s size, how deeply it spread beneath the skin, and whether it reached the nearby lymph nodes or other parts of your body.
Based on your staging, your treatment plan may include:
If you suspect you may have skin cancer, call Choice Cancer Care, or schedule an appointment online today.
