Skin Cancer Care

Expertise in Skin Cancer Treatment

At the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), we’re dedicated to providing expert, compassionate care for all types of skin cancer — including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. From diagnosis through treatment and survivorship, our team offers the latest advances in care, tailored to your individual needs.

Our dermatologists are specially trained in identifying and treating skin cancer. If you have a suspicious mole or skin lesion, we work closely with specialists across dermatology, oncology, surgery and pathology to create a personalized, multidisciplinary care plan designed to give you the best possible outcome. Our Pigmented Lesions Clinic allows for rapid assessment of suspicious skin lesions to expedite your care.

Types of Skin Cancer

Our specialists provide care for all types of skin cancer:

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer. It involves the basal cells, which are on the outermost layer of skin.
• Cutaneous lymphoma, also called skin lymphoma, is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects the skin.
• Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare subtype of skin cancer with neuroendocrine features. It most commonly develops in older adults or those with compromised immune systems.
• Melanoma begins in the melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin that colors the skin, hair and eyes. Melanoma is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) involves the squamous cells, which form the skin’s outer layers (dermis). Squamous cell carcinoma can occur in any area of the body. 

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

If you have a suspicious lesion, your doctor may remove a small sample area of the tissue in a procedure called a biopsy. Your doctor uses the results of the biopsy to determine if it is skin cancer.

If you have skin cancer, the pathologist can determine which type it is and what stage (grade) it is, meaning how far it has developed. Learn more about cancer screening and diagnosis.

Skin Cancer Treatment

Once the pathologist has made a diagnosis of skin cancer, we can choose the best treatment option. The most appropriate treatment choice depends on a number of factors:

We use these and other treatment methods:

Surgery for Skin Cancer

If you have skin cancer, you may need surgery. It may be a traditional skin surgery, or you may be a candidate for Mohs surgery. Surgeons will remove some of the healthy skin, along with the entire mole or lesion. Surgery for skin cancer is an outpatient procedure, meaning you will go home the same day as the operation. 

We partner with BIDMC plastic and reconstructive surgeons, or ENT surgeons, for reconstructive surgery following certain skin cancer procedures. 

Surgical Excision

Surgical excision is a procedure in which the surgeon removes tissue and sends it for analysis in the lab. Your skin cancer specialist may recommend surgical excision to either diagnose or treat you.

• When you have surgical excision for diagnosis, the surgeon may remove either the whole lesion or part of the lesion. The surgeon sends the sample to the lab. BIDMC pathologists examine it to determine the diagnosis.
• When you have surgical excision after you already have a skin cancer diagnosis, the goal is to completely remove the lesion. The surgeon removes some normal-appearing tissue along with the lesion to assure a clear margin (surrounding edge of healthy tissue). Your surgeon sends the sample to the lab. The pathologist examines the sample to confirm that the margins are clear.