Even though skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, your treatment should be one of a kind. Get a personalized care plan from the experts at Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute. We treat more skin cancer than any other center in the area.
We screen to catch skin cancer early, when treatment is most effective. A precise diagnosis guides your custom treatment plan.
Types of Skin Cancer
The specialists at Lynn Cancer Institute are ready to treat all types of skin cancer, including yours. Some of the most common skin cancers we treat include:
- Basal cell carcinoma – the most common type of skin cancer, found on skin that gets the most sun exposure
- Squamous cell carcinoma – a cancer in the top layers of the skin often caused by repeated sun exposure
- Melanoma – the most serious skin cancer, forms in the skin’s pigment cells and can spread quickly to other areas of the body
- Merkel cell (also called neuroendocrine) carcinoma – a rare cancer that forms in cells very close to nerve endings in the skin
You can also develop precancerous spots on your skin. These spots, called actinic keratosis, can appear on your face as dry, scaly patches that are pink or red. Spots on your body are white, scaly and wart-like. A smaller number of precancerous growths are brown and can be easily confused with age spots.
Diagnosing Skin Cancer
Our skin cancer specialists work together to accurately screen and diagnose skin cancer early.
Skin cancer is often screened and diagnosed during a visit with your dermatologist. The dermatologist looks for suspicious spots on your skin and notes the size, shape, color and texture of each one. If your dermatologist suspects cancer, they will recommend additional tests.
You might find a new spot or mole (or one that has changed in size, shape or color) on your own. In those cases, experts at the Institute will screen for skin cancer and conduct diagnostic tests if needed.
Other signs of skin cancer include:
- Non-healing sore that bleeds
- Painful, itchy spot
- Red or skin-colored shiny bump
- Rough red, scaly spot
- Scar-like growth with irregular border
- Wart-like growth
You may get one or more tests to diagnose skin cancer:
- Biopsy – your provider examines a sample of skin under a microscope to see if cancer is present
- Sentinel node biopsy – a provider takes a sample of your lymph nodes to see if cancer has spread
- Imaging tests – a provider takes images to detect the size and location of the cancer and if it has spread. Imaging tests might include:
- CT scan
- MRI
- PET scan
- X-ray
Skin Cancer Treatment
Our skin cancer specialists work together to create your individual treatment plan. Your plan is based on the type of cancer you have, its location and stage, as well as your genetics and overall health.
We can treat most skin cancer cases with outpatient surgery. More aggressive skin cancers, like melanoma or Merkel cell carcinoma, need more extensive treatments.
Depending on your personalized care plan, skin cancer treatment can include one or a combination of the following:
- Immunotherapy – helps your immune system find and attack cancer cells
- Chemotherapy – targets and destroys cancer cells with anti-cancer drugs
- Radiation therapy – uses beams of radiation to target and destroy cancer cells, including:
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Surgery – removes cancer cells
The five-year survival rate for most skin cancer is between 95 percent and 100 percent. For Merkel cell skin cancer, the five-year survival rate is 76 percent.
