Skin Cancer
Procedural and Surgical Dermatology

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in humans. Luckily the most prevalent types of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) are usually not aggressive, grow slowly and are completely curable when treated on time.

As with most other medical conditions, the best treatment is early detection and prevention.

Basal Cell Carcinoma:

  • This is the most common type of skin cancer and it is typically seen in patients with fair skin who have spent a lot of time in the sun.
  • It typically starts as a small pink “bump” on sun exposed skin that is constantly “red” or “irritated” and sometimes breaks down and bleeds. Most of the time it doesn’t hurt or present with any other symptoms.
  • Common locations are: face, nose, eyelids, ears, neck.

Our treatment approach:

The treatment of basal cell carcinoma is aimed at complete removal of the skin cancer and the technique used to remove it will depends on three key factors:

  • Size.
  • Location.
  • Histologic subtype.
Surgical treatment:Medical treatment:
Curettage + electrodessication (“scraping”)Imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara)
Excision and simple closure whith stitches 
Mohs micrographic surgery 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

  • This is the second most common type of skin cancer and it is also seen in fair skin individuals with a long-standing history of sun exposure.
  • It usually manifests as a “red” or “irritated” and sometimes painful “sore” that does not heal.
  • Common locations are: face, neck, arms, legs, trunk.
  • The best treatment is surgical removal but the method used will be determined by the size and location of the lesion.
Surgical treatment:
Curettage + electrodessication (“scraping”)
Excision and simple closure with stitches
Mohs micrographic surgery

Melanoma

  • Melanoma is an uncommon yet serious type of skin cancer that affects patients at any age. It usually presents as a very dark or multi-colored new freckle that changes over time.
  • If diagnosed and treated early it is curable, so it is important to know what to look for and to visit your dermatologist for routine full body skin checks.
  • The treatment is prompt surgical removal with confirmation by a pathologist that all skin cancer cells have been cleared. Most of the time this can be achieved by an excision performed under local anesthesia. Larger and more advanced cases require surgery under general anesthesia.

Other rare skin cancers
Dr. Boker has experience detecting and managing other rare skin cancers. The best treatment for these rare tumors is surgical removal and coordinated care with a cancer specialist.