Skin oncology
Your skin is your body’s largest organ, continuously exposed to harmful environmental factors such as sun radiation. In the past decades, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of skin cancer.
Melanoma rates are on the rise in recent years in all western societies. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer arising from pigment-producing melanocytes of the epidermis. If melanoma is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable, but if it is not, it can advance and spread to other parts of the body.
Nonmelanoma skin cancer refers to all the types of cancer that occur in the skin that are not melanoma, the most common being the basal cell carcinoma and the squamous cell carcinoma.
As skin oncology has been over a decade on our clinical focus we are proud to offer our patients a wide spectrum of state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic approaches ranging from expert clinical evaluation, dermoscopy and digital mole mapping to diagnostic skin biopsies, innovative topical and photodynamic treatments of superficial skin tumors and surgical excision of infiltrative tumors, always in line with international guidelines and tailored to the patient’s needs.
- Melanoma
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- Merkel cell carcinoma
- Sebaceous gland carcinoma
- Angiosarcoma
- Kaposi sarcoma
Melanoma
Melanoma rates are on the rise in recent years in all western societies. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer originating in the pigment-producing melanocytes of the epidermis. Melanoma can arise from inconspicuous moles or moles that have suddenly appeared. Most melanomas are black or brown, but they can also be skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white.
If melanoma is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable, but if it is not, it can advance and spread to other parts of the body. Early detection and treatment is the cornerstone of our melanoma treatment strategy.
For clinical evaluation and documentation, we use state-of-the-art Fotofinder ® technology to help you monitor your moles and birthmarks, even in areas you are not able to see. Digital mole mapping is the most advanced method for early skin cancer detection.
Basal cell carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) begins in the basal cells of the epidermis and the hair follicle and is the most common cancer type. Though it only rarely metastasizes, it can grow infiltrating local tissue and causing severe local damage and aesthetic distortion. There are many different histological and clinical subtypes. Early diagnosis may allow topical treatment with innovative topical products and photodynamic therapy avoiding unnecessary surgical excisions which remain the mainstay of therapy for infiltrative tumors.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin develops in the squamous cells of the epidermis after prolonged exposure to sun-light. It can develop slowly from initial precancerous lesions limited in the epidermis (actinic keratosis) to more infiltrative tumors that can cause considerable damage and can even metastasize. Metastasis is associated with high mortality rates underlying the importance of very early detection and treatment.
Our main goal remains the proper education of our patients for self-detection of sun associated skin damage and early skin cancer. With our modern diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, we can offer our patients with skin cancer a state-of-the-art approach in line with all major international guidelines.
Actinic keratosis/Field cancerization
Actinic keratosis is the most common precancerous lesion of the skin, induced by sun exposure. It looks like a reddish plaque with fine scales. With time, it may get more infiltrated and hyperkeratotic with thick scales and crusts. Actinic keratoses develop on sun exposed areas of the skin. Besides the visible lesions there are also a multitude of invisible, subclinical lesions that will further appear during time, thus justifying the modern definition of field cancerization to describe the exact extent of the cancerization process. If untreated some can resolve but others may further progress to infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma.
In recent years, a multitude of innovative topical treatments and non-surgical procedures such as photodynamic treatment have revolutionized the treatment algorithm.
After thorough clinical evaluation and consultation, we offer a patient-tailored treatment in line with major international guidelines, carefully selected from a wide selection of innovative non-surgical treatments such as photodynamic therapy, topical imiquimod, topical ingenol mebutate etc.
Transplant and immunosuppressed patients
Transplant patients’ numbers are on the rise due to the advances of modern transplant medicine. To suppress their immune system so that it will not attack the donated organ they are given immunosuppressive drugs, making them more vulnerable to skin cancer. Transplant patients have a much higher risk for non-melanoma skin cancer then the general population, with the squamous cell carcinoma occurring 65-250 times more often.
Committed to skin oncology for more than a decade and with a special interest for transplant and immunosuppressed patients we strive to educate our patients in prevention and early detection. Regular use of innovative sunscreens, avoidance of unnecessary sun exposure and regular self-examination along with an excellent skin check by experienced dermatologists can help our transplant and immunosuppressed patients feel well equipped to prevent, detect and treat any skin cancer threat.