Skin Cancers

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancers, affecting more than one million Americans every year. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. Skin cancers are generally curable if caught early. However, people who have had skin cancer are at a higher risk of developing a new skin cancer, which is why regular self-examination and doctor visits are imperative and an early diagnosis be made.  Skin cancer affects people of all colors and races, although those with light skin who sunburn easily have a higher risk. At Astoria Derm , Dr. Nicolaides and his team perform comprehensive full body skin examinations.

• Examine your skin: We look at your skin from top to bottom to determine whether your skin changes are likely to be skin cancer. Further testing may be needed to confirm that diagnosis.
• Remove a sample of suspicious skin for testing (skin biopsy): We may remove the suspicious-looking skin for lab testing. A biopsy can determine whether you have skin cancer and, if so, what type of skin cancer you have.
• If additional treatment is needed, options may include:
  • Freezing, Excisional surgery(cutting it out), Mohs surgery(refer to mohs surgeon ) , Photodynamic therapy, Biological Therapy, Cryotherapy.
• The vast majority of skin cancers are composed of three different types: aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer
  • Basal Cell Carcinoma
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma
  • Melanoma