Skin Cancer
Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles,
Newport Beach, & Orange County, California
Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin. There are many different causes of skin cancer, including sun exposure, environment and heredity. Skin cancer generally develops in the outermost layer of the skin, so a tumor is usually visible. This makes most skin cancers detectible in the early stages.
There are three common types of skin cancer, each of which is named after the skin type from which it arises. The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the head, neck or shoulders. Sometimes small blood vessels can be seen within the tumor. Crusting and bleeding in the center of the tumor frequently develops. An ancient term for this disease is called a rodent skin ulcer. It is also often mistaken for a sore that does not heal; hence this term.
Squamous cell carcinoma is commonly a red, scaly, thickened patch on the sun-exposed skin. Ulceration and bleeding may occur. Squamous cell carcinoma is a far more significant problem than basal cell because of its propensity or ability to spread to other organ systems.
Most skin cancers can be treated by removal of the lesion, making sure that the edges are free of tumor cells. This can be done by various methods—curettage, freezing, etc. These procedures often provide cure for both high-risk and low-risk disease. However, if the tumor is large or recurs, then surgery is the best option.
After the skin cancer has been removed, an open wound will exist. Reconstruction of this defect can be as simple as allowing the wound to heal on its own or as complex as bringing a flap of tissue from a different location on the face to repair the defect.
At Bray Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, thousands of skin cancers have been treated successfully. Plastic Surgeon Dr. Bray has published numerous articles and book chapters on skin cancer treatment and reconstruction. One such publication is a book chapter on the use of the rhombic flap to reconstruct defects after skin cancer excision. Dr. Bray published articles on nasal reconstruction after skin cancer excision with the dorsal nasal flap. Dr. Bray instructing a course demonstrating his technique of skin cancer excision and reconstruction at the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Fourth International Symposium. Dr. Bray is considered an expert on skin cancer excisions and reconstruction throughput the world.
All of the extensive academic work by Dr. Bray stems from his original surgical improvement on the painless Mohs dermatological procedure. Dr. Bray published a paper in the nineteen seventies entitled Preplanned, Pathologically Controlled Excision and Repair of Skin Cancer. The thrust of this paper is that through a surgical technique allowing instant frozen section diagnosis, the tumor can be completely excised with a cure rate of between ninety-five and ninety-eight percent; yet the closure has already been preplanned and designed for the optimum cosmetic result. This procedure can be preformed all in one sitting, and there is no need for repeat surgical visits. Clearly, most skin cancers do not need extensive excision with this type of frozen section control, but certainly lesions that are recurrent or those that are very large are most amenable to this procedure.
The third type of skin cancer is the malignant melanoma, or malignant freckle. These tumors can be lethal through spread to lungs and brain. Early diagnosis is the key to cure. The typical signs are a change of size, darkening of color, crusting, bleeding, or satellite lesions. Treatment is based on the depth of tumor into the skin. Surgery is the only accepted primary treatment and can be radical and extensive.
If you have any questions about skin cancer, feel free to visit Bray Plastic Surgery for a consultation. Insurance is accepted.
To arrange a consultation to discuss your cosmetic plastic surgery needs, email our plastic surgery office or call today.
