What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer is the most common cancer of all cancers. More than one million Americans develop skin cancer each year. The three most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. It usually appears as a small, fleshy bump, most often on the head, neck, and hands. It sometimes appears as a red patch on the trunk of the body. This type of cancer rarely spreads (metastasizes), and it is rarely fatal, but if left untreated, it can invade very deeply and involve underlying structures like nerves, bones, muscles and tendons.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer. It usually appears as a bump or as a red, scaly patch, most often on the rim of the ear, the face, the lips and mouth. If incompletely removed, it can develop into large masses or even metastasize.
Melanoma is the third most common type of skin cancer, and is the most deadly type. Every year approximately 7,300 Americans die from melanoma; however, if properly treated at an early stage, it is almost always curable. Melanoma may appear suddenly, or it may develop in or near an existing mole.
Look for the ABCDs of Melanoma. Asymmetry (one half does not match the other half) Border irregularity (the edges are ragged, blurred, or notched) Color (color is not uniform, shades of tan, brown or black are noted; red, white or blue may also be present giving a mottled appearance) Diameter (greater than 6mm, about the size of a pencil eraser.)
Mohs surgery is a highly specialized treatment for the removal of skin cancer. Developed by Dr. Fredric Mohs, this method involves microscopic examination of the surgically removed skin tissues as well as detailed mapping techniques and complete microscopic control.
By using this technique, Timothy L. Parker, MD can pinpoint areas with cancer that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye; therefore, even the smallest roots of cancer can be removed from the skin with minimal sacrifice of healthy tissue. The result: minimal removal of healthy tissue with the highest possible cure rate.
At Advanced Dermatologic Surgery, P.A., Dr. Parker performs Mohs surgery in a pleasant office procedure room, and the reconstruction portion is performed in the adjacent ADS Ambulatory Surgery Center. In this manner, we are better able to provide for your safety, and you may return home the same day.
We have answered many frequently asked questions about Mohs surgery and patient care on the various sections of our website. Please feel free to access these pages to find out more about Mohs micrographic surgery and Timothy L. Parker, MD.
