Skin malignancy occurs in three main forms, in increasingly serious types:
Basal Cell
Squamous Cell
Melanoma
Basal Cell
Actinic Keratosis may persist and/or recur and thus turn out to be a basal cell carcinoma when examined under microscope. Moh's surgery or surgical excision removes the tumor and once cleared of disease, reconstruction is necessary. We often excise and repair lesions the same day, OR repair defects created by Moh's dermatologists. Basal cells do not spread to nodes.
Squamous Cell
This cancer can occur anywhere where is skin or mucosal tissue. Lesions are deeper and can spread to the draining lymph nodes, requiring more advanced surgery and occasionally radiation or chemotherapy.
Melanoma
Flat or raised lesions, whether pigmented or not, can be a malignancy. We use the rules of ABCD, meaning A=asymmetry; B=border; C=color; D=diameter
Radical surgery and node removal (dissection) is often required since further improvement with chemo or radiation therapy is not as likely.
