Skin Cancer Treatment In Grass Valley, CA
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As skin cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosis, the need for preventative care and skin cancer treatment is at an all-time high. Even with proper SPF use and protective clothing, it’s crucial that patients today see their health practitioners for regular skin cancer screenings to reduce the risk of cancer.
Each patient is different and deserves customized skin cancer treatment and preventative options that align with their lifestyle and goals, which is why we offer a wide range of surgical and non-surgical options that treat skin cancer and are also appropriate for those concerned with their aesthetic results.
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Dr. Bruce Lattyak and our team are dedicated to helping our patients remain cancer-free through proactive prevention measures, comprehensive non-surgical and surgical treatments, and advanced reconstructive procedures.
As an award-winning plastic surgery office and advanced skin cancer center, the Élan Clinic offers the best of both worlds: effective, diverse, and cutting-edge skin cancer treatments that do not sacrifice the patient’s cosmetic and aesthetic concerns.
What Types of Skin Cancer Can Be Treated?
At the Élan Clinic, we treat all forms of skin cancer, including the three most common types:
- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) typically appears in areas exposed to the sun, most commonly on the face and neck. BCC may appear as a pearly or waxy bump, a flat pink or reddish scaly patch of skin, or a bleeding or scabbing sore that never completely heals.
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) also commonly appears on more sun-exposed areas, such as the hands, face, and neck. This type of skin cancer is also commonly seen on the scalp, arms, and legs. SCC may appear as a thick, crusty lesion or a large, smooth, raised tumor with a small crust in the center.
- Melanoma is one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer as it affects deeper layers of the skin and, if not caught early, can spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma can appear in normal skin or within a mole that becomes cancerous. It most often appears in men’s faces or torsos, while women more commonly see it in their legs. It can occur in skin that hasn’t been exposed to the sun and often appears as a large brown or black spot, a mole that changes in color and size, small lesions with irregular borders, and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue, or blue-black, or a painful lesion that burns or itches.
In addition to invasive skin cancer, we also treat precancerous skin lesions such as actinic keratoses to reduce their risk of becoming skin cancer. These lesions typically have a flaky or scaly appearance or a rough surface that seems to come and go—they are particularly more noticeable in the summer months. The most common treatments used for these lesions are cryotherapy (freezing) and topical prescription creams. For patients with extensive precancers of the face, we also offer the UltraPulse® CO2 laser and deep chemical peels, both of which are very effective in eliminating these lesions while at the same time dramatically reducing the visible effects of aging by removing fine wrinkles and improving skin texture and tone.
Why Choose the Élan Clinic for Skin Cancer Treatment?
Experience
The Élan Clinic is a comprehensive skin cancer center, offering not only cutting-edge treatments but also head-to-toe skin cancer screening and prevention. Since starting practice in 2001, Dr. Bruce Lattyak and his experienced team have treated over 15,000 skin cancer patients. In addition, as Medical Director of the SNMH Wound Center since 2010, Dr. Lattyak has extensive experience in the prevention and management of complications of skin cancer treatment, including surgery and superficial radiation therapy.
Choice
Unlike many Mohs surgery or radiation therapy practices that have only one or two options to treat skin cancer, the Élan Clinic offers a wide spectrum of choices to our patients, including several different forms of surgery, GentleCure™ image-guided superficial radiation therapy, topical treatment, laser resurfacing, and peels. For those patients who want to avoid Mohs surgery because of the long commute and treatment time, we offer the alternative of frozen section here in Grass Valley, in collaboration with the pathologists at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. Frozen section has comparable cure rates to Mohs surgery and typically takes one-third of the time, making it a much faster and more convenient option to treat BCC and SCC. If you prefer to avoid surgery altogether, you can choose GentleCure™ image-guided superficial radiation therapy for non-melanoma skin cancer, offering exceedingly high cure rates without pain, scarring, need for reconstruction, or downtime.
Regardless of how you prefer to treat your skin cancer, Dr. Lattyak and his team will take the time to educate you about the benefits and risks of all your options in detail, allowing you to make an informed choice that fits your goals and priorities.
Aesthetics
As a triple board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Lattyak always places a high priority on aesthetic results. Whether you choose surgery, superficial radiation therapy, or an alternative treatment, you can trust Dr. Lattyak and his knowledgeable staff to design a treatment plan that’s not only effective at treating the cancer but also gives you the best-looking result.
How Do I Know If I Have Skin Cancer?
The best way to determine if you have skin cancer is through regular screenings. It’s recommended that you perform a cancer self-check monthly, looking for new or atypical skin lesions or changes to existing moles. Additionally, you should undergo professional skin cancer checks annually, or more frequently if you are at high risk, with an experienced healthcare provider.
When performing a self-examination, be sure to look out for the ABCDEs of melanoma:
- Asymmetry: One half of the mole doesn’t match the other
- Border irregularity: The mole has uneven, blurred, or jagged edges
- Color: The mole is not uniform in color
- Diameter: The diameter is greater than 6 mm (the size of a pencil eraser)
- Evolving: Any changes in size, shape, color, elevation, or any new symptoms
Skin cancer can affect anyone regardless of skin tone, so be sure to take proper precautions and call your healthcare provider if you notice any irregularities.
Skin Cancer Screenings in Grass Valley, CA
In addition to your monthly self-examinations, annual or semiannual professional skin examinations are crucial for early detection and treatment of skin cancer. We offer comprehensive skin cancer screenings, in addition to a full range of treatments for precancerous lesions and invasive skin cancers.
Call us today at (530) 273-3400 to schedule an appointment.
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What Are My Options for Skin Cancer Treatments?
If you’ve received a skin cancer diagnosis, it’s important to understand that the sooner you get treatment, the higher the rate of success. We offer multiple options for skin cancer treatment, based on several factors, including the skin cancer type, size, and location, prior treatment history, and patient preference. Each skin cancer treatment option is also tailored to the type of skin cancer you have and the severity of your condition.
Surgical Options
Excision and Linear Repair
Depending on their location and other factors, many smaller skin cancers can be treated with excision and linear wound repair. This procedure typically takes 15–30 minutes. The excised cancer is sent for pathological analysis to confirm complete removal. Whenever possible, dissolvable sutures are used. In cases where permanent sutures are needed, they are typically removed the following week.
Frozen Section
For some skin cancers, it is preferable to confirm that the lesion has been completely and adequately removed in real-time, that is, while the patient waits in the office. Previously, the only way to do this was with Mohs surgery. While the Mohs technique is very effective and reliable, it is a painstakingly slow procedure that removes thin slices of the skin cancer layer by layer and typically takes at least four hours, sometimes a full day. Additionally, the closest Mohs surgeons to the Élan Clinic are located in Roseville and Yuba City, which means local patients must incur significant travel time to receive treatment.
At the Élan Clinic, we offer a much more pragmatic alternative to Mohs surgery called frozen section. Dr. Lattyak collaborates with the pathologists at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. Frozen section samples are evaluated in real-time, so patients will get confirmation that their cancer has been completely removed the same day. Frozen section cure rates are very comparable to Mohs (92–94% at five years for frozen section vs. 96–98% at five years for Mohs). Best of all, frozen section typically only takes one to two hours and, being available locally, does not require additional travel time.
Reconstruction
In more complex cases, reconstruction using skin grafting or flaps may be necessary. Dr. Lattyak has been performing complex reconstructions for over 20 years with excellent aesthetic results. If reconstruction is necessary, Dr. Lattyak will discuss your options with you during your comprehensive consultation.
Sentinel Node Biopsy
Some skin cancers, in particular certain melanomas, have a higher risk of spreading to the lymph nodes. In these cases, in addition to removing the skin cancer, it is important to obtain a sample of the lymph nodes to make sure it hasn’t spread. When sentinel node biopsy is required, Dr. Lattyak will collaborate with the appropriate surgeon to perform this procedure at the same time as the skin cancer is removed. Sentinel node biopsy typically requires general anesthesia and is therefore performed at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital.
Non-Surgical Options
While surgical removal is still the most common skin cancer treatment, we offer several other options for those patients who prefer to avoid surgery or are not good surgical candidates.
GentleCure™ Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy
Our most popular and effective non-surgical treatment for basal and squamous cell skin cancers is GentleCure™, an image-guided superficial radiation therapy (IG-SRT). This amazing technology allows our team to treat non-melanoma skin cancers without invasive methods. GentleCure™ utilizes low levels of X-ray energy to kill skin cancer cells without penetrating the skin with surgery. Additionally, this method is extremely precise, as it uses ultrasound imaging to display in real-time the exact location and size of the cancer. These images can also show the cancer shrinking as treatment progresses.
Benefits of GentleCure™ Superficial Radiation Therapy:
- No cutting or scarring
- No downtime
- Effective 98% cure rate
- Quick, 15-minute treatments in-office
GentleCure™ is just one possibility of skin cancer treatment that we offer, and our team is committed to helping you find the perfect treatment for your goals, needs, and diagnosis. However, GentleCure™ has very high success rates, and it can be extremely beneficial for patients who do not want to undergo surgery, are concerned with possible scarring post-surgery, or have lesions in cosmetically sensitive locations. Additionally, if you have undergone surgical treatment before and want to try a new alternative, GentleCure™ may be a great option.
Topical Therapy
Although surgical excision and IG-SRT offer the highest cure rates of non-melanoma skin cancer, topical therapy may be a good option for patients who are not good candidates for either of these treatments. This involves applying a prescription cream (e.g., Efudex or Aldara) to the lesion for several weeks. Even in cases where topical therapy does not completely eliminate a skin cancer, it can help keep it from spreading and control symptoms. Close follow-up is important to ensure that treatment goals are being met.
Precancer Treatments
The most common form of skin precancer is actinic keratosis, which typically appears as a scaly, flaky lesion or a pink patch with a rough surface. Without treatment, around 5–10% of these lesions will turn into squamous cell carcinoma over your lifetime, so treatment of these is important for skin cancer prevention.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is the easiest and quickest treatment of actinic keratoses. A freezing agent, typically nitrous oxide or liquid nitrogen, is applied to the lesion, causing it to flake off over several days.
Topical Therapy
Topical Efudex and Aldara are very effective in treating actinic keratoses, especially when there are too many lesions to treat with cryotherapy. As these prescription medications are sun sensitizing, it is typically best to use them in the late fall or winter months.
UltraPulse® CO2 Laser
For patients with multiple actinic keratoses of the face, the UltraPulse® CO2 laser by Lumenis® is an excellent option. This ablative laser targets actinic keratoses and other surface-level skin lesions by vaporizing them, effectively ridding the skin of these abnormalities. This treatment also offers cosmetic benefits, as the laser energy stimulates collagen and elastin production to heal damaged skin, resulting in fewer fine lines and wrinkles and improved skin laxity, texture, and tone.
Learn more about UltraPulse® Laser treatments
Deep Chemical Peels
Another option for patients with extensive sun-damaged facial skin with multiple pre-cancerous lesions and non-melanoma skin cancers is a deep chemical peel. Microscopic studies of peeled skin show destruction of actinic keratoses (pre-cancerous lesions) and early skin cancer cells, and patients who have had deep peels develop substantially fewer facial BCCs and SCCs. While chemical peels are not typically covered by health insurance, they have the added benefit of dramatically reducing facial wrinkles and improving skin tone, texture, and complexion.
Skin Cancer Prevention & Screenings
Preventing skin cancer is possible, even if you live in sunny California or enjoy outdoor activities like hiking. While we might have once thought about skin cancer prevention as wearing sunscreen at the beach, that’s not quite enough. We offer professional head-to-toe skin cancer screening exams, recommended every 4 months if you have a history of melanoma and every 6–12 months if you have a history of non-melanoma skin cancer or precancer. The following daily sun protection tips are also essential to overall skin health and cancer prevention:
- You should wear sunscreen daily, focusing on areas that are most likely to be affected by sun damage, such as the face, scalp, and hands. Even if you spend most of your time indoors, applying a daily SPF to your face, including the eyelids and the tops of your ears, can help prevent skin cancer.
- If you do tend to spend a lot of time outdoors, sunscreen is a must. It’s recommended that you use a minimum of SPF 30 and reapply every two hours. Wearing hats with a wide brim is a great option too, even for weekend chores like gardening. And lastly, if you do spend time outdoors, try to avoid peak UV exposure.
How Is Skin Cancer Surgery Performed?
Most skin cancer surgery is performed in the office under local anesthesia. The treatment area will initially be numbed for optimum comfort throughout the process. The cancer will be removed and sent to a pathologist, who will examine the tissue to ensure that it has been completely and adequately removed. Whenever possible, dissolvable sutures are used to repair the wound.
What Is Skin Cancer Treatment Recovery Like?
Skin cancer treatments, whether minimally invasive or more advanced, are unique to the nature of the lesion as well as the needs of the patient. Each treatment plan is highly individualized; therefore, recovery will vary accordingly.
Following your treatment, Dr. Lattyak will provide you with detailed written aftercare instructions to ensure a full recovery. You may also be prescribed antibiotics or pain medications, depending on the size, location, and complexity of your treatment. In cases where permanent sutures are needed, they are typically removed the following week.
How Much Does Skin Cancer Treatment Cost in Grass Valley, CA?
The cost of skin cancer treatments depends on the type of skin cancer, the size of the lesion, and the technique used. Most skin cancer treatments are covered by insurance, but we also offer financing options.
If needed, Dr. Lattyak will provide you with an accurate cost estimate after your consultation.
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What Our Patients Are Saying
“I really appreciate the time taken to explain procedures and options by Dr. Lattyak when I came in for multiple procedures stemming from a car accident 10 years ago. Quality work and practically painless!” “I’m a 60 year old teacher, not quite ready to retire. For my end of career time in the classroom I wanted to look more refreshed and youthful. Dr. Lattyak and his staff helped make this dream come true. The results of upper eyelid and brow lift are beautiful and the recovery period was over quickly. Thanks for everything.”
“I am so happy with my experience with Dr. Lattyak, his staff, and my surgery results. I will (and do!) recommend this office to anyone considering surgery.”
“Never had a better treatment. Nurses were great and Dr. Lattyak is remarkable.”