2 Hospitals For Skin Cancer In Massachusetts

Skin Cancer (click for worldwide facilities list): Skin cancer, the abnormal growth of skin cells, most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But this common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. A cancerous skin lesion can appear suddenly or develop slowly. Its appearance depends on the type of cancer.

There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, which is the most serious of skin cancer.
All three types of skin cancer are on the rise — but most skin cancers can be prevented by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and by paying attention to suspicious changes in your skin. And with early detection, you can receive successful treatment for most skin cancers, even the most aggressive forms.

See your doctor if you notice a new skin growth, a bothersome change in your skin, a change in the appearance or texture of a mole, or a sore that doesn't heal in two weeks. Precancerous skin lesions, such as an actinic keratosis, also can develop into squamous cell skin cancer. Your doctor may suspect cancer by simply looking at your skin. But to properly diagnose skin cancer, your doctor or dermatologist will need to take a small sample of your skin (biopsy) for analysis in a lab. A biopsy can usually be done in a doctor's office using a local anesthetic.

Skin cancer is generally divided into two stages:
Local where the cancer affects only the skin.
Metastatic where the cancer has spread beyond the skin.

Because superficial skin cancers such as basal or squamous cell carcinoma rarely spread, a biopsy often is the only test needed to determine the cancer stage. But if you have a large growth or one that's existed for some time, your doctor may do further tests to determine the extent of the cancer.

Treatment for skin cancer and the precancerous skin lesions known as actinic keratoses varies, depending on the size, type, depth and location of the lesions. Often the abnormal cells are surgically removed or destroyed with topical medications. Most skin cancer treatments require only a local anesthetic and can be done in an outpatient setting. Sometimes no treatment is necessary beyond an initial biopsy that removes the entire growth.
If additional treatment is needed, options may include:

Freezing:
Your doctor may destroy actinic keratoses and some small, early skin cancers by freezing them with liquid nitrogen (cryosurgery).

Excisional surgery:
This type of treatment may be appropriate for any type of skin cancer. Your doctor cuts out (excises) the cancerous tissue and a surrounding margin of healthy skin. A wide excision ,removing extra normal skin around the tumor, may be recommended in some cases.

Laser therapy: Mohs surgery
This procedure is for larger, recurring or difficult-to-treat skin cancers, which may include both basal and squamous cell carcinomas. Your doctor removes the skin growth layer by layer, examining each layer under the microscope, until no abnormal cells remain.

Curettage and electrodesiccation:
After removing most of a growth, your doctor scrapes away layers of cancer cells using a circular blade (curet). An electric needle destroys any remaining cancer cells. This simple, quick procedure is common in treating small or thin basal cell cancers. It leaves a small, flat, white scar

Radiation therapy:
Radiation may be used to destroy basal and squamous cell carcinomas if surgery isn't an option.

Chemotherapy
n chemotherapy, drugs are used to kill cancer cells. For cancers limited to the top layer of skin, creams or lotions containing anti-cancer agents may be applied directly to the skin. Topical drugs can cause severe inflammation and leave scars. Systemic chemotherapy can be used to treat skin cancers that have spread to other parts of the body.

Two new treatments under study include: Photodynamic therapy (PDT), and Biological therapy (also called immunotherapy).

The most common skin cancers are:
-Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer. It's also the most easily treated and the least likely to spread.
-Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and the one responsible for most skin cancer deaths. Melanoma can develop anywhere on your body, in otherwise normal skin or in an existing mole that turns malignant
-Squamous cell carcinoma is easily treated if detected early, but it's slightly more apt to spread than is basal cell carcinoma

Less common skin cancers are:
-Kaposi sarcoma. This rare form of skin cancer develops in the skin's blood vessels and causes red or purple patches on the skin or mucous membranes. Like melanoma, it's a serious form of skin cancer.
-Merkel cell carcinoma. In this rare cancer, firm, shiny nodules occur on or just beneath the skin and in hair follicles. Unlike basal and squamous cell carcinomas, Merkel cell carcinoma grows rapidly and often spreads to other parts of the body.
-Sebaceous gland carcinoma. This uncommon and aggressive cancer originates in the oil glands in the skin.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skin-cancer/DS00190
http://www.skincancer.org/Skin-Cancer-Facts