At Blessing Cancer Center, we offer screenings to catch skin cancer as early as possible to provide you the best possible results. If you have skin cancer, we are experts in treating it and will customize your care based on your individual case.

EXPERIENCE THE BLESSING DIFFERENCE: SKIN CANCER

As our region’s skin cancer specialists, we offer complete services to diagnose and treat all types of skin cancer. People come to Blessing for our:

  • Specialized skin cancer technology: We’re dedicated to providing you the best treatments available today. With the Gulmay Superficial Machine, we use its advanced technology to deliver low-dose radiation to skin cancers without affecting underlying tissues. The equipment is easy to move, so you can receive your treatment in a comfortable sitting or lying position.

  • Holistic support network: Our cancer team offers supportive services including:

    • Counselors to help you and your family manage anxiety, stress or other emotional or psychological pressures

    • Oncology (cancer) dietitians to provide healthy eating plans to help you stay strong during treatment

    • Nurses to help you organize your appointments, manage paperwork and follow your treatment plan

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SKIN CANCER

Most skin cancers result from exposure to sunlight, and some develop after exposure to radiation or hazardous materials. Not all skin cancers are the same. The 3 major types include:

  • Basal cell carcinoma: The most common type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma responds well to treatment. Basal cells form the lowest layer of skin cells. In basal cell cancer, cells in this layer become cancerous. This type of skin cancer usually occurs in skin that receives regular sunlight exposure.

  • Squamous cell carcinoma: This type is the second most common skin cancer and also responds well to treatment. Squamous cells are flat cells on the surface of the skin. Squamous cell cancer usually develops in sun-exposed areas of skin and can also occur in scars or damaged skin.

  • Melanoma: As the most aggressive form of skin cancer, melanoma grows rapidly and spreads quickly to other parts of the body. We can successfully treat melanoma if we detect it early enough. Melanoma begins in melanocytes, the cells that make pigment in our skin.

Skin cancer is preventable with some simple lifestyle changes. Learn more about prevention and screenings at Blessing.

TREATING SKIN CANCER AT BLESSING

We can successfully treat most early-stage skin cancers with outpatient surgery or radiation therapy. We work with you to determine your individualized treatment plan based on the type of skin cancer and whether it has spread to other areas of the body. Our treatment options for skin cancer include:

  • Surgery: We can surgically remove most skin cancers with an outpatient procedure that does not require sedation (medication to ease you to sleep). Read more about our surgical services.

  • Electrodessication and Currettage (ED&C)

  • Superficial radiation: This type of external beam radiation penetrates and destroys skin cancer cells without damaging the tissues, cartilage or bones under your skin. We use superficial radiation to treat cancers on the ears or nose to avoid damaging cartilage.

  • Radiation therapy: If skin cancer has spread to other parts of the body, we can treat these tumors with several radiation therapies. Our specialized equipment allows us to target tumors of different shapes and sizes in various areas. Read more about our radiation oncology.

  • Medication therapy: Medical oncologists, doctors who treat cancers with powerful drugs, may prescribe chemotherapy. These medications destroy cancer cells and help prevent them from spreading. Learn more about medical oncology and immunotherapy.

  • Access to clinical trials: You may qualify to participate in a clinical trial at Blessing Cancer Center, in partnership with other healthcare systems. Clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments before they are widely available. To learn more about clinical trials please speak with your doctor.

Blessing provides high-quality skin cancer care for people throughout our region. Read more about the cancer treatments and services we offer at our dedicated cancer center.

CONTACT US

For more information about our cancer center and dermatology services or to make an appointment with one of our doctors, call (217) 223-1200.