Key Points DNA analogs are effective in treating actinic keratoses. Immune response modifiers are effective in treating actinic keratoses, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma through immunomodulation. Inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase enzymes is effective in ablating actinic keratoses. Other compounds…
Key Points Comparable cure rates to other procedures. Cryogen: liquid nitrogen. Fast freeze, slow thaw. Excellent cosmetic results. Combination treatments provide enhanced results. Introduction Once a premalignant or malignant skin lesion is diagnosed, the physician decides among the multiple surgical…
Key Points Curettage and electrodesiccation (CE) is an expedient method of treating many non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). Cure rates and cosmetic outcome for CE of NMSC are site- and lesion-dependent. The most important aspect of CE is choosing the correct…
Key Points Proper biopsy is critical in the diagnosis and management of skin cancers. Melanocytic lesions should be removed with an excisional biopsy where possible in order to obtain the most accurate diagnosis and prognostic factors although there is no…
Key Points Recent findings provide proof-of-principle that adhesive tape stripping of pigmented lesions suspicious for melanoma, coupled with epidermal genetic information retrieval (EGIR) and gene expression profiling, can be used to discern melanoma from nevi and solar lentigines. Genes differentially…
Key Points Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) enables imaging of skin lesions at cellular-level resolution either at the bedside ( in vivo ) or in freshly excised tissue ( ex vivo ). Like dermoscopy, in-vivo RCM acquires images in the horizontal…
Key Points Computer-aided diagnosis for cutaneous melanoma is a rapidly emerging but promising field of research that has the potential to help physicians to improve diagnostic accuracy for melanoma. The combination of rising incidence of melanomas and the need to…
Key Points Dermoscopy is a non-invasive technique that enhances diagnosis of pigmented and other skin lesions. This technique allows for the analysis of subsurface structures to determine malignancy. Although diagnostic accuracy may decrease in health professionals first learning the technique,…
Key Points Developments in cancer therapy led to significant improvement in patient survival and increased awareness of the associated dermatologic side effects. Dermatologic side effects can be emotionally difficult for patients and cause disruption in cancer treatment, underscoring the importance…
Key Points Internal malignancy can involve the skin either directly or indirectly. Direct involvement is defined as tumor metastatic to the skin. Indirect involvement refers to changes in the skin that suggest the possibility of an underlying malignancy. Patients with…