Skin cancer

Melanoma
In the United States, the lifetime risk of invasive melanoma has been on the steady climb from 1 in 1,500 in 1935 to 1 in 75 in 2000.  It has been predicted that in 2010 the lifetime risk will reach 1 in 50.  With this steady increase melanoma has become one of the most prevalent cancers in the United States, currently second in men age 30-49.  The disease is even more prevalent in other countries such as Australia.  Given that there is no effective treatment for metastatic disease, melanoma screening is of critical importance.  Advances in screening, however, have not been able to slow down the rate of invasive disease.  In 2002 melanoma developed in 87,800 Americans, 53,500 of whom had invasive disease.  If detected early, melanoma is completely curable. Thus, the UC Davis Department of Dermatology is committed to melanoma screening. The department also has a special melanoma clinic geared toward serving the high-risk population. Currently, the melanoma clinic is headed by Dr. Barbara Burrall.

Therapies offered for melanoma include:

• Excisional surgery
• Mohs micrographic surgery (slow MOHS)
  ****Sentinal lymph node biopsys are conducted by the Department of Surgery.
  ****Patient's with metastatic disease are seen by oncology ,

Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma are the most common forms of cancer in humans and make up approximately 95 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs).

Known risk factors for skin cancer include:

• UV light exposure (especially sun)
• Human papilloma virus (SCC)
• Cigarette smoking (SCC)
• PUVA (SCC)
• Immune suppression (organ transplantation, AIDS)
• Genetic syndromes (Xeroderma pigmentosum, oculocutaneous albinism, etc).

Therapies offered for Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma include:

• Electrodessication & curettage (ED&C)
• Excisional surgery
• Mohs micrographic surgery
• Cryosurgery
• five-fluorouracil and imiquimod