Advanced Dermatology in Texas: 4 Treatments for Skin Cancer

What Is Skin Cancer?

Skin cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the skin tissue. Normally, as you grow older, your older skin cells die and new ones are regenerated, but when this natural process is altered due to excessive exposure to UV rays, they grow quickly. These cells can be either cancerous or benign.

Types of Skin Cancer

Advanced Dermatology’s Role in Skin Cancer Patients

Through advanced dermatology treatments, early detection and prevention of skin cancer is possible. Routine check-ups and total-body skin exams are the starting point for dermatologists, who use these practices to identify moles or lesions that signal potential skin cancer. Doctors also teach patients about other preventive measures like self exams at home and recommending the use of broad-spectrum sunscreen. 

When it comes to patients who are experiencing aggressive or complex skin cancer, advanced dermatology treatments’ role expands beyond the office. In response to the risk of cancerous cells spreading within the patient’s body, dermatologists coordinate with other specialists like medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and reconstructive surgeons to build a comprehensive treatment plan. 

What makes advanced dermatology a crucial element for patients of skin cancer is that it provides them continuity of care, an accurate diagnosis of their condition, and a personalized approach to their symptoms.

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4 Advanced Dermatology Treatments for Skin Cancer in Texas

Doctors use these following advanced dermatology treatments for many purposes, whether it’s prevention, an accurate diagnosis, or managing advanced cutaneous malignancies. Some procedures available at Magnolia Dermatology in Texas include:

• Skin Excision
• Cryotherapy
• Mohs Surgery
• Photodynamic Therapy

1. Skin Excision

Also known as a shave excision, a surgical skin excision to remove abnormal growth from the skin such as lesions, moles, or tumors, which are a result of skin cancer, more specifically melanomas. There are two types of skin excisions.

• Elliptical Excision: An elliptical excision is used to remove cancer cells with a technique based on cutting off an oval-shaped piece of the affected area of the skin. If the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, this procedure is recommended.
• Deep Saucerization: During a deep saucerization, the lesion is shaved down to the deep dermis in order to prevent the cancer cells from penetrating deeper into the tissue. 

2. Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy cancer cells by spraying liquid nitrogen. Doctors use it for cases of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas at an early stage. After the procedure, the treated area becomes red and sore, and after 1 to 6 weeks, the crust from the dead tissue will fall off.

3. Mohs Surgery

Invented by Dr. Frederic Mohs, this procedure is recommended for patients whose skin cancer bumps are affecting the areas of the head or the neck. During the surgery, the surgeon removes a layer of skin at a time and performs an immediate histological evaluation of the tissue, repeating the procedure until the margins of the skin are cancer free.

4. Photodynamic Therapy

Also known as PDT, photodynamic therapy involves applying a photosensitising cream on the affected area. After an incubation period, the cream’s effect is activated by natural daylight, which causes the abnormal or cancerous cells to be destroyed while the healthy skin tissue remains unaffected. 

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