Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and can be dangerous if it's left untreated. Routine skin cancer screenings with one of our expert team members at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center located in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia, ensure early detection and treatment to prevent complications. Call our office or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is abnormal skin cell growth that often occurs in response to sun exposure. Squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma are the three main types of skin cancer. Routine skin cancer screenings are the best way to detect these diseases before they cause serious problems for your health. The team at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center performs full-body screenings to find potential skin cancer. All of their providers have taken additional courses in dermoscopy - the use of a handheld dermatoscope - to better assess an individual lesion's risk of malignancy. They have a Mohs surgeon in the office who can treat complicated skin cancers or cancer located in sensitive and cosmetically concerning areas.

What are the symptoms of skin cancer?

Signs and symptoms to watch out for that may indicate you have skin cancer include:

Basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinomas are most common on sun-exposed skin, including your face and neck. It might look like a flesh-colored scar, scabbed or bleeding sore, waxy bump, or pearly lesion.

Squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinomas might appear as a scaly, crusted lesion or firm, red nodule. You may notice it on your ears, face, hands, or other sun-exposed areas of the body. Typically, they are preceded by scaling patches called actinic keratoses.

Melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and can even appear on skin rarely exposed to the sun like the groin or soles of the feet. It might look like a large mole with dark specks, a mole that changes in color or size, a bleeding mole, or a lesion with an irregular border. It can appear black, red, pink, bluish, or white, and might burn, itch, bleed, or feel painful.

What are the risk factors for skin cancer?

While skin cancer can happen to anybody, risk factors for developing it include:

  • A history of sunburns, especially blistering sunburns
  • Excessive sun exposure
  • Fair skin
  • More than 50 moles or a history of atypical moles
  • Actinic keratoses (rough, scaly patch on your skin)
  • Living in a sunny climate
  • Family or personal history of skin cancer
  • A weak immune system
  • Exposure to radiation or toxins

The best way to lower your risk of skin cancer is by protecting your skin from the sun. Use sunscreen year-round and wear protective hats and clothing. Steer clear of tanning beds. Perform routine at-home skin checks in addition to skin cancer screening exams with experts at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center.

How is skin cancer diagnosed?

Your dermatologist will evaluate your skin clinically and inspect suspicious lesions with a dermatoscope. After reviewing your symptoms and medical history, they might remove an entire suspicious-looking lesion or part of the lesion with a procedure called a skin biopsy, and send it to a dermatopathologist for microscopic analysis. Skin cancer requires a microscopic evaluation for diagnosis.

How is skin cancer treated?

Treatment of skin cancer depends on the type of skin cancer, the size or degree of skin involvement, and the location on the body. Depending on these factors treatments range from more conservative to more aggressive and include:

  • Excisional surgery
  • Mohs surgery
  • Curettage and electrodesiccation
  • Immune-modulating topicals

**During Mohs surgery, your doctor removes skin growths one layer at a time, checking the margins under the microscope while you wait. If skin cancer has spread, an interdisciplinary approach to your treatment will be developed with an oncologist. Early detection is critical, so don’t let skin cancer go undetected. Book an appointment with Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center by phone or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

How can we help

Services

Service Offered: Skin Cancer
Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and can be dangerous if it's left untreated. Routine skin cancer screenings with one of our expert team members at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center located in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia, ensure early detection and treatment to prevent complications. Call our office or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Service Offered: Mohs Surgery
Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is a very safe and effective outpatient surgical procedure for removing certain types of skin cancer. This technique focuses on the complete removal of the skin cancer with a cure rate as high as 98-99% depending on the cancer type, size, and location. Our Mohs surgeons, William Gillen and Shields Callahan, MD at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center are fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons located in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia. Using a microscope to examine the margins, they can be very precise in determining when the cancer has been removed, thus preserving normal surrounding tissues and allowing the smallest possible surgical wound.

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Service Offered: Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer typically on sun-exposed skin that can arise from the pre-cancers, actinic keratoses. Seeking treatment early for any unusual, painful, or non-healing site can prevent serious complications associated with skin cancer. At Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia, William Gillen, MD, Patricia O’Connor, MD, and their team diagnose and treat squamous cell carcinoma by removing skin lesions with surgical techniques, including Mohs surgery, or other more conservative procedures, if appropriate. Call the nearest Richmond-area office today, or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Service Offered: Basal Cell Carcinoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. At Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia, William Gillen, MD, and Patricia O’Connor, MD, offer treatment for this type of cancer that usually appears as a bump or pinkish patch of skin. If you suspect you have basal cell carcinoma or any form of skin cancer, contact the office right away to set up an appointment. Call either Richmond-area office to speak with a team member or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Service Offered: Melanoma
Melanoma

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that kills thousands of people each year. William Gillen, MD, Patricia O'Connor, MD, and the team of professionals at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia, are committed to finding and diagnosing melanoma at its earliest stages which is crucial for treatment. In these early stages, treatment can be done in our office. When necessary, our skilled providers are experienced in developing interdisciplinary treatment plans. Above all, they are dedicated to educating their patients on skin cancer prevention. Schedule your skin cancer screening today by calling the nearest Richmond-area office or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Service Offered: Skin Disorders
Skin Disorders

Skin disorders can look unsightly, be embarrassing, or in some cases, indicate skin cancer. At Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia, William Gillen, MD, Patricia O’Connor, MD, and their experienced team treat lumps, bumps, and rashes in patients of all ages. Call either Richmond-area office to schedule an appointment or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Service Offered: Injectables
Injectables

If you want to rejuvenate your appearance by minimizing facial wrinkles and fine lines, then injectables may be right for you. Patricia O'Connor, MD, and Eliza Hester PA-C at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center provide high-quality injectables and customized plans for their patients in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia. Schedule an injectables consultation today by calling either Richmond-area office, or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Service Offered: Psoriasis
Psoriasis

Roughly 7.4 million people in the United States are bothered by psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune condition that affects the skin, joints, and less commonly the cardiovascular system. If you have psoriasis, schedule a visit with a member of our general dermatology team at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia. A group of well-versed providers in the variety of treatment options available for psoriasis and will develop a plan to help you find relief from your condition. Booking an appointment is easy. Simply call the nearest Richmond-area office or send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Service Offered: Eczema
Eczema

Eczema is a skin condition that causes reddened and scaling skin and uncomfortable itching. Occasionally, this broken skin can become infected leading to pain and oozing. Our team at Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Glen Allen and Chesterfield, Virginia, can help you manage eczematous conditions so you can live as normal and healthy of a life as possible and prevent the flares and infections associated with a broken skin barrier. Call either of the Richmond-area offices today to schedule your appointment and get relief from symptoms or, send us a message to book an appointment on our contact page.

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Absolute Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center