Leveraging decades of experience treating patients with skin cancer as well as less serious conditions, dermatologist Steven Greene instructs medical students as a clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington Division of Dermatology. Common skin cancers include basal cell carcinoma, which affects the lowest layer of the epidermis and most often appears on the head or neck; and squamous cell carcinoma, which arises in squamous cells, which constitute the main part of the epidermis. Melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer, is less common, but much more aggressive.

Once diagnosed with skin cancer, patients often opt for surgical removal of the cancerous tissue. However, especially in cases of melanoma, excision may not result in a cure. Doctors may recommend a lymph node dissection to see if the cancer cells have metastasized from the skin to the internal organs. In the event the cancer spreads, patients may require radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.

Before deciding on any course of treatment, skin cancer patients should consult with a dermatologist like Dr. Steven Greene.