Skin cancer is highly treatable when detected early.
At Twin Falls Dermatology & Aesthetics, LLC in Twin Falls, Idaho, dermatology expert Laurel Krupski, PA-C, MSW, provides routine skin cancer screenings, biopsies, and surgical excisions. To schedule your next screening and learn more about skin cancer, call Twin Falls Dermatology or book an appointment online today.
What types of skin cancer are most common?
Twin Falls Dermatology & Aesthetics, LLC offers skin checks to look over every inch of your skin for signs of skin cancer. Skin cancer often stems from DNA damage inside your skin cells from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, which comes from the sun and artificial sources like tanning beds.
Laurel specializes in diagnosing and treating the three most common types of skin cancer:
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
The most common type of skin cancer is BCC, which shows up in the basal cells deep within your skin. It’s most prevalent among fair-skinned individuals and usually appears in sun-exposed areas like your head, arms, or legs.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
SCC is similar to basal cell carcinoma but originates in squamous cells, which are closer to your skin’s surface. Still, SCC can grow deep into your skin to cause tissue damage and scarring as they grow.
Melanoma
Melanoma is the most severe type of skin cancer of the three and the most likely to metastasize (spread) to other areas. It’s common for melanoma, which originates in pigment-producing cells, to affect moles you already have.
How is skin cancer diagnosed?
Laurel provides skin cancer screenings at Twin Falls Dermatology & Aesthetics, LLC to detect skin cancer in its earliest possible stage. Screenings can detect cancerous lesions or lesions that appear cancerous, even before you notice them yourself.
When a lesion looks suspicious, Laurel examines it with a magnifying instrument called a dermatoscope. She may also take a biopsy to remove cells from a cancerous lesion, which she can then examine more closely in a lab.
Laurel can teach you to self-examine your skin, which you should then report toTwin Falls Dermatology & Aesthetics, LLC. She encourages you to keep track of your moles and report any changes in their appearance.
How is skin cancer treated?
Laurel specializes in removing cancerous lesions with surgical excisions. Sometimes a biopsy can remove an entire cancerous lesion, but you might need a surgical excision after a biopsy.
While effective in many cases, surgical excisions aren’t the only way to treat skin cancer. Mohs surgery, an advanced and precise procedure that removes a cancerous lesion layer by layer, may also be an option. If you’re a candidate for Mohs surgery, Laurel refers you to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center.
Call Twin Falls Dermatology & Aesthetics, LLC or schedule an appointment online for your next skin cancer screening today.
