Your physician may examine your skin to check for signs of skin cancer.
If an unusual lesion or mole is found, a skin sample may be taken and sent for
laboratory testing to determine if the skin abnormality is cancer, as well as
the type of skin cancer.
For skin cancer that is limited to the surface of the skin, a biopsy to surgically
remove the entire lesion may be the only treatment needed.
Further diagnostic tests and treatments may be recommended depending on the
type and extent of the skin cancer and include:
- Cryosurgery: The freezing of early skin cancers using liquid nitrogen.
- Excisional surgery: Cut out the cancerous tissue and a margin of healthy skin surrounding the tumor.
- Moh's skin-sparing surgery: Tissue is examined layer-by-layer to check for signs of cancer upon surgical removal to spare as much healthy tissue as possible. This usually is recommended for larger, recurring or more difficult-to-treat skin cancers.
- Curettage: Scraping away layers of cancer cells once most of the growth is surgically removed. This is followed by electro-desiccation or cryotherapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
- Radiation therapy to remove any cancer that may remain following surgery.
- Laser light therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy or biological therapy
For additional information on programs, services and locations, download and print the following PDFs:
St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Program Guide
St. Luke’s Infusion Centers Guide
Close