Does skin cancer in Walnut Creek mean plastic surgery?
Skin cancer results from abnormal cells that form in the skin. In the
epidermis, or outer layer of skin, these are classified as basal cell
carcinoma; and in the flat cells of the surface of the skin, as squamous
cell carcinoma. When these neoplasms develop in the cells that make
pigment (melanocytes), a much more serious form of skin cancer called
melanoma occurs.
However, every type of skin cancer is serious. The National
Cancer Institute estimates that, in the United States alone, more than
one million new cases of non-melanoma cancers were diagnosed in 2010
resulting in nearly 1,000 deaths.
It is the most common form of cancer diagnosed. Your risk
increases with UV exposure (from sun or tanning beds), smoking, HPV
(human papilloma virus), and other medical and hereditary factors.
Fortunately, skin cancer is an extremely treatable form of the disease.
Mohs micrographic surgery is one of the most advanced
treatments available for skin cancer and also the most effective. This
exacting method involves surgical removal of the cancerous growth with
minimal destruction of adjoining tissue. A process of staining and
mapping allows a trained Mohs surgeon to follow the exact border of the
cancer and remove it to a precise depth, layer by layer. The cure rate
is consistently in the high 90s – as great as 99.8 percent depending on
the type of cancer.
Most traditional methods of skin cancer removal (excision,
electrodessication, curettage, and cryosurgery) take a substantial
amount of surrounding tissue to ensure elimination of the cancerous
tumor. Thus, the wound is larger with more significant scarring. Since
Mohs surgery preserves as much normal tissue as possible, scarring is
minimized. This makes Mohs surgery an advantageous option, especially
for facial skin cancer.
Is a qualified Mohs surgeon available to the residents of
Walnut Creek? Plastic surgery or reconstructive surgery may not be
necessary following your skin cancer treatment when you contact Dr. M.
Christine Lee at the East Bay Laser & Skin Care Center, Inc. She is a
Board-certified dermatologist with fellowship training in Mohs surgery,
and has performed the procedure thousands of times.
It’s your skin, your face, your health. Don’t trust it to anything less.
Dr. Min-Wei Christine Lee
Dr. Christine Lee is a Board-certified Dermatologist with sub-specialties in laser surgery, cosmetic surgery, Mohs Micrographic Surgery, facial plastic reconstruction, and dermatologic surgery. She leads The Skin And Laser Treatment Institute as its Director and serves as Clinical Faculty for the Department of Dermatologic Surgery at the University of California San Francisco. Patients travel from across the globe for her expertise, and Dr. Lee has trained thousands of stateside and international doctors.Share this Article
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