Skin Cancer Diagnosis & Treatments

Westlake Dermatology is dedicated to providing the most advanced skin cancer diagnosis and treatment options in Dallas at our University Park location.

What Is Skin Cancer?

Skin cancer is an accelerated growth of abnormal cells in the epidermis (outer layer of the skin). It’s a mutation that is caused by unrepaired DNA damage. Skin cancer cells multiply rapidly often forming malignant tumors. Common forms of skin cancer include melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma.

More than one million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Anyone can get skin cancer, though the risk is greater if your parent, sibling or child has had a melanoma. A change in a mole can indicate a serious problem. Your dermatologist should be seen if you notice that a mole becomes larger, changes color, is asymmetric, or develops an irregular border. Other warning signs include itching, crusting, pain, and bleeding. Extensive and potentially disfiguring surgery can often be prevented by prompt biopsy and surgical removal of moles that are changing.

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

When it comes to treating skin cancer early diagnosis is the key. Typically, skin cancer that is discovered and removed early is highly curable. As such, regular self-examination is a powerful tool which can alert you to changes in your skin.

While monthly self-examination is great, having an annual professional skin check is highly recommended.  Dermatologists are trained to detect cancerous symptoms early.

Annual Skin Checks

During an annual skin check, a dermatologist performs a full body examination with a focus on finding new or changing skin lesions or skin growths. Close attention is paid to more difficult-to-see body areas like the scalp, back, and buttocks. A dermatoscope (specialized magnifying glass) may be used to allow the dermatologist to fully inspect the skin. Non-suspicious moles and other marks are documented for future inspection, while suspicious spots may require biopsy, where a part of the lesion is removed and analyzed in a lab for cancerous cells.

About Westlake Dermatology Dallas

Westlake Dermatology is a leading provider of medical dermatology in Texas, with 19 locations throughout Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Our board certified dermatologists and knowledgeable staff are committed to helping patients by tailoring treatments to suit each patient’s unique needs and requests. Our University Park team provides a full range of skin cancer diagnosis and treatment services including biopsy and dermatological surgery.

Skin Cancer Treatments

Some potential treatment options for skin cancer include the following.  Referrals can be coordinated by your physician for any services that are not offered at our office.

Excision Surgery

The skin cancer, along with a surrounding border (margin) of healthy skin, is surgically removed using a scalpel. The wound is then closed using sutures. Excised tissue is then sent to the lab to verify that all cancerous cells have been removed.

Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is more advanced and effective form of excision surgery. It combines the surgical removal of the tumor with the immediate microscopic examination of the tumor and surrounding tissue. Using a scalpel or curette (a sharp, ring-shaped instrument), the physician removes the visible tumor and then a very thin layer of tissue around it (the margin). This layer is immediately checked under a microscope with the entire margin examined. If tumor is still present in the deep or peripheral margin, the procedure is repeated until the last layer viewed under the microscope is tumor-free.

Topical Medications

There are several topical medications like Imiquimod and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) that can be used to treat skin cancer especially in cases of superficial skin cancers of lower-risk sites. These medications are not-FDA approved for use for squamous cell carcinoma, but are approved for use for certain cases of superficial basal cell carcinoma.

Cryosurgery

In cryosurgery, the physician applies liquid nitrogen through a spray devise to freeze and destroy tumor tissue. The process may need to be repeated several times to ensure complete destruction of all cancerous cells.

Radiation

Radiation based treatments use high energy rays or particles to kill cancerous cells. Typically, complete destruction requires multiple treatments which are administered over a period of time.

Chemotherapy

Systemic chemotherapy may be used to treat skin cancer. This is typically used only in advanced cases where there has been spread to lymph nodes or other organs and is often used along with surgery and/or radiation.

Meet Our Dallas Dermatologist

• Kelly Aschenbeck, MD: Dr. Aschenbeck is a board-certified dermatologist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. As a general medical dermatologist, Dr. Aschenbeck enjoys seeing patients of all ages for their skin health concerns. Her interests include acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, skin cancer, botulinum toxin, lasers and more. Dr. Aschenbeck has been recognized by her peers as a Top Doctors Rising Star in 2023 and 2024, a distinction awarded to only approximately 2.5% of physicians.

• Stephanie Saxton-Daniels, MD: Dr. Stephanie Saxton-Daniels is a Board-Certified Dermatologist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. After receiving her medical degree from the University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Saxton-Daniels completed a General Surgery internship at the University of New Mexico. She completed her training at a nationally recognized Dermatology residency program at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. The scope of her practice encompasses medical, surgical, pediatric & cosmetic dermatology.