Skin Cancer Treatments

Learning that you have skin cancer is both a physical and an emotional diagnosis, and the team at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of Indiana is here to help you through this difficult time. Our team, led by renowned dermatologic surgeon Dr. C. William Hanke, provides patients with the best solutions for skin cancer treatment and removal with a supportive bedside manner.

Choosing the physician to help you remove your skin cancer is a difficult one, but we assure you that you’ve come to the right place. With Dr. Hanke’s numerous credentials as both a Mohs Micrographic Surgeon and Dermatologic Surgeon, Dr. Hanke has also pioneered Mohs training programs and was selected as President of the American College of Mohs Surgery, Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. With Dr. Hanke at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of Indiana, you’re in the very best hands.

Skin Cancer and Pre-Cancer Treatments at The LASSI

We offer treatments for both cancerous and pre-cancerous skin conditions at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of Indiana. Cancerous skin growths already have malignant cancer cells, while pre-cancerous lesions are skin growths that are likely to change and become active cancer. It’s important to get all skin lesions checked by a dermatologic surgeon at least once per year during an annual skin check to help prevent skin cancer and remove any cancerous or precancerous growths before they spread.

Skin Cancer Removal and Treatments

At the LASSI, we offer four different cancer treatments for different types of skin cancer growths that occur. These include Mohs micrographic surgery, excision, curettage and electrodesiccation, and radiation.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery: The Gold Standard

Mohs Micrographic Surgery, or Mohs Surgery, is considered the gold standard in skin cancer treatment and removal as it:

• Has the highest cure rate of any treatment;
• Is cost-effective;
• Offers the most precise removal, examining 100% of the tumor margin while sparing healthy tissue;
• Leaves only the smallest defect, maximizing the aesthetic result;
• Requires only a single treatment and local anesthesia.

Excision for Skin Cancer Removal

Excision is an in-office procedure. This procedure is most commonly used to remove certain types of skin cancer. This method involves surgically cutting out the area and closing the area with sutures.

Curettage and Electrodesiccation for Skin Cancer Removal

This method involves scraping the cancerous tissue away with a curette. The superficial wound that is created is then treated with electrosurgery to provide hemostasis. This common treatment method is performed in the office using local anesthesia.

Radiation Therapy for Skin Cancer

Radiation therapy is used as a treatment under special circumstances. Your surgeon may refer you to a radiation oncologist in the event your diagnosis warrants such treatment. Sometimes radiation therapy is used in conjunction with surgical removal. This option will be discussed if your surgeon feels as though it may be necessary.

Treatments for Pre-Cancerous Skin Lesions

Pre-cancerous skin growths are skin spots, moles, or lesions that show signs of becoming cancerous in the future. By removing or treating these growths ahead of time, we are able to help prevent a future cancer. Follow-up examinations and annual skin checks help prevent cancer and will allow us to detect any new cancerous or pre-cancerous growths early.

Cryosurgery to Freeze Pre-Cancerous Skin Growths

Cryosurgery is also commonly known as “freezing”. This method of removal is primarily used for pre-cancerous lesions known as Actinic Keratoses (AKs).

Photodynamic Therapy for Pre-Cancerous Skin Growths

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Blu-U with Levulan is a commonly used treatment for sun-damaged skin and actinic keratoses, which are considered precursors to skin cancers. However, PDT can also be used.

Why Choose the LASSI for the Evaluation and Treatment of Skin Cancer in Indianapolis?

Our goal is always excellence in patient care, satisfaction, and safety.

If you ever have questions, please ask any member of our staff. Our facility is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. Through this accreditation, you are assured that our facility adopts best practices in health care and complies with nationally-recognized standards of health care.

The Laser and Skin Surgery Center staff is a team consisting of specially trained physicians, nursing personnel, technical personnel, and office staff who will serve you during your skin cancer treatments. Dr. Hanke, our medical director, has completed and instructed specialty training in the procedures performed within the facility. Our nurses and medical assistants will help answer your questions, assist in surgery, and instruct you in care following your procedure. Technical personnel, whom you may or may not meet, perform the essential task of preparing frozen section tissue slides for Mohs Micrographic Surgery, prior to being microscopically analyzed by a physician.

Schedule an appointment for an evaluation and/or treatment with Dr. Hanke and our team today.

You will receive a folder of information upon scheduling of your procedure. Please take the time to read through the information and complete patient forms prior to your visit.