Skin Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Maintaining your health isn't just about eating a healthy diet and exercising. It's also important to have regular checkups with your various medical practitioners, including Dr. Vernon Thomas Mackey of Advanced Desert Dermatology in Peoria, Arizona. These appointments, usually made yearly, are to check your skin for any types of skin cancer that may have developed. Below are some details about skin cancer and its treatment.

Causes

It's common knowledge that prolonged sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. That's why people with fair skin who work outside or live in sunny areas of the world are at particular risk for developing lesions. However, many people are under the impression that tanning beds are a safe alternative to the sun. This is false; tanning beds actually transmit 12 times as many UVA rays than natural sunlight. As you might have guessed, genetics also play a part in developing skin cancer. So if an immediate family member has had skin cancer, it's important to have regular checkups with Dr. Mackey at Advanced Desert Dermatology.

Symptoms

The various types of skin cancer often produce specific symptoms that your Peoria dermatologist has special training to recognize. In general, an existing mole that develops redness, bleeding, or swelling should be examined, as should new growths that have similar properties. You can monitor changes on your skin at home by performing self-checks in the mirror once a month. Dr. Mackey can show you the best, most thorough way to perform these skin checks on yourself or a family member.

Treatment

The good news is that skin cancer, when caught early, is almost always curable. The way it's treated and managed depends on a number of factors; in general, treatment begins with surgical removal of the suspect lesion and the margins around it. The sample's properties will be evaluated in a laboratory and the results reported to your Peoria dermatologist. In many cases, no further treatment is needed. Other forms of skin cancer may require further excision or medical therapy.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Mackey, your dermatologist in Peoria, Arizona, contact Advanced Desert Dermatology today!

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Hours of Operation

Monday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Hours of Operation

Monday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed