Carcinoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, affecting 5 million individuals per year. Among them, basal cell carcinoma is the most common type.
Knott Street Dermatology provides skin cancer detection and treatment services in the Portland, Oregon area. Suspect you might have skin cancer? It is imperative to have it checked as early detection and early treatment will have higher rates of success.
Basal cell carcinoma is caused by abnormal, uncontrolled growths or lesions that arise in the basal cells, which line the base of the outer layer of the skin. Basal cell carcinomas often look like open sores, red patches, pink growths, shiny bumps, or scars and are usually caused by a combination of cumulative and intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. These lesions never fully heal and often recur in cycles, because the damaged cells cannot repair themselves.
For basal cell carcinoma on the face and some parts of the arms and legs, the most effective treatment is Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is accepted as the single most effective technique for removing basal cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinomas that occur on certain parts of the body can also be removed with excisional surgery.
Sqamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common form of skin cancer, is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells arising from squamous cells in the outer layer of the skin. SCC and some other skin cancers can often look like scaly red patches, open sores, warts or elevated growths with a central depression, and they may crust or bleed. They can become disfiguring and sometimes fatal if allowed to grow. Daily year-round exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and indoor tanning devices all add to damage that can lead to SCC.
SCCs are most common in areas frequently exposed to the sun, such as the rim of the ear, lower lip, face, balding scalp, neck, hands, arms and legs. These lesions never fully heal and often recur in cycles because the damaged cells cannot repair themselves. For SCC on the face and some parts of the arms and legs, the most effective treatment is Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is accepted as the single most effective technique for removing Squamous Cell Carcinoma. SCCs that occur on certain parts of the body can also be removed with excisional surgery.
To schedule a consultation for skin cancer screening and possible treatment, feel free to reach out to us.
