Skin Cancer Testing

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer and finding it early improves your chances of recovery. At kalon Dermatology in Staten Island and the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, the skilled providers offer skin cancer testing. They evaluate your skin and take a skin biopsy of abnormal growths to confirm or rule out skin cancer. Call the office or schedule your skin cancer testing online today.

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the skin cells. It occurs when there’s a rapid growth of abnormal cells, creating a lesion. Anyone can get skin cancer.

Some of the common types of skin cancer include:

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
• Melanoma

Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or a tanning lamp is the most common cause of skin cancer. Finding and treating skin cancer during the early stages improves your chances of a full recovery.

kalon Dermatology offers skin cancer testing to help you stay on top of your skin health.

What is skin cancer testing?

Skin cancer testing is conducted with a skin biopsy. For the test, your provider at kalon Dermatology removes an abnormal lesion from your skin and sends it to the pathology lab for evaluation to confirm or rule out cancer.

Your provider first does a skin cancer screening exam to determine if you need testing. If you need skin cancer testing, they give instructions on how to prepare for the test, such as stopping any medication that may alter the way the skin looks under the microscope.

What happens during skin cancer testing?

Your provider reviews the details of your skin cancer testing at your initial visit. They may remove the abnormal growth using various techniques, such as:

Shave biopsy

For a shave biopsy, your provider uses a surgical knife to shave off a layer of the growth.

Punch biopsy

They use a special tool for a punch biopsy, removing a circular piece of your skin for testing. 

Excision

For an excision, your provider removes the growth and some of the healthy surrounding skin with a scalpel.

The providers at kalon Dermatology administer a local anesthetic for skin cancer testing to minimize discomfort. 

What happens after skin cancer testing?

Your provider cleans and covers your wound and provides at-home care instructions. They also explain when you might expect results from your skin cancer testing.

Once your provider at kalon Dermatology has the results, they talk to you about the next steps, which may include additional procedures to remove any cancerous tissue or other cancer treatments like chemotherapy.

Skin cancer testing protects your health and wellness. Call kalon Dermatology or schedule your test online today.