An estimated one in five Americans will develop skin cancer over their lifetime. Protecting your skin from sunlight helps prevent skin cancer, but you can count on Dr. Erik B. Hurst to provide expert treatment at his Center for Dermatology practice if the disease develops. He's also highly trained in Mohs surgery, the most effective treatment available for skin cancer. To schedule a skin examination, call the office in Martinsburg, West Virginia, or Hagerstown, Maryland.
The primary cause of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet light. You have a higher risk if you have a family history of skin cancer or you’re fair skinned. Otherwise, your overall risk depends on:
The three types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
Dr. Hurst is trained in the most effective treatment for skin cancer: Mohs micrographic surgery. This highly specialized treatment removes all of your skin cancer while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible.
He can't use Mohs for all skin cancers, but it’s beneficial for aggressive, large, or recurrent cancer cells, and to treat areas like your nose, ears, and lips.
During Mohs surgery, skin cancer is removed and thin layers are examined under the microscope to see if the edges contain cancer. If Dr. Hurst finds cancerous cells, another thin layer of skin is removed and examined. With this step-wise procedure, tissue removal is precise, and Dr. Hurst can ensure that all the cancer is gone.
Other methods of removing skin cancer include:
Call Dr. Hurst if you have any questions about skin cancer, or if you’d like a mole or lesion examined.
