Dermatology Consultants is proud to announce the start of its Skin Cancer Center; a center dedicated to the screening, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer.
Skin cancer rates continue to rise and while young people have grown up with a knowledge about protecting the skin many adults continue to see the effects of sun exposure early in life and from day to day activities.
A surprising number of patients with skin cancer have still never been to a dermatologist. Anyone with a history of a skin cancer should be evaluated by a skin expert to help determine their risk of future cancers and see if preventive measures will be useful. Dermatology Consultants has 20 Board Certified Dermatologists in four locations in the East Metro.
The Skin Cancer Center is set up to provide comprehensive skin cancer care for patients with Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma along with other less common skin cancer types.
Screening and Diagnosis: People who have a history of skin cancer have a high risk of making more; our doctors can perform detailed skin exams to look for suspicious lesions. People who play golf, fish, run, garden or enjoy other outdoor activities have been shown to have a higher risk for skin cancer and even if they have not had one, screening can help catch cancers at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat and cure.
The Skin Cancer Center has dedicated Board Certified Skin Pathologists located in our Eagan clinic. They can accurately and rapidly provide diagnosis from any biopsy that may be performed during the screening process. Results can be obtained in as little at 24 hours.
We provide digital mole mapping using the FotoFinder system. This provides whole body photograph and documentation of moles that allows comparison of moles over time. Changes in size or new moles can be picked up quickly, typically before the patient would notice. This is a tool our doctors use in addition to the skin cancer screening examination.
Prevention: Sun damage accumulates over time but there are many products and procedures that can be used to undo past sun damage and help prevent or reduce the chance of future skin cancer development. We have a strong focus on prevention; stopping cancers before they happen is the ideal situation. We can review sun protection, vitamins and other products that can help the skin to recover. In addition there are laser treatments and the latest in a procedure called Photodynamic Therapy to help treat sun damaged skin.
Treatment: Once a skin cancer is found we review the treatment options available. Our doctors are skilled at excision (removal) of skin cancers and we have highly experienced surgeons trained in the Mohs Micrographic Surgery technique. We are able to remove cancers and reconstruct the wound safely in clinic under local anesthetic on the same day. Our clinics perform thousands of procedures each year.
If you have had or continue to get a lot of sun exposure, if you have had a skin cancer or recently had a diagnosis of skin cancer then the doctors at the Skin Cancer Center can help.