Skin Cancer Q&A

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers, but the good news is that it's highly treatable when detected early. At his private practice in Grapevine, Texas, board-certified dermatologist James R. Bond, Jr., MD, PA, diagnoses and removes skin cancer to prevent it from spreading and becoming dangerous. Call his office to schedule a skin cancer screening or use the online booking feature today. 

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is a type of cancer that affects skin cells, causing them to replicate abnormally. Squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma are the most common types of skin cancer, with melanoma being the most dangerous. Early detection and treatment of skin cancer reduces your risk of serious complications.

What are the symptoms of skin cancer?

The common symptoms of skin cancer include:

• Waxy or pearly bumps
• Flesh-colored, brown, flat, or scar-like skin lesions
• Scabbing or bleeding sores
• Lesions with scaly or crusted surfaces
• Red, firm nodules
• Large brown spots with darker specks
• Moles with irregular borders
• Moles that change in size, shape, or color
• Dark lesions on your fingertips, palms, soles, toes, or nose
• Moles with pink, red, blue, black, or white colors in them
• Lesions that burn or itch

Any time you have an unusual-looking mole or skin lesion that changes in appearance, see Dr. Bond for a skin check.

What are the risk factors for skin cancer?

While anyone can develop skin cancer, common risk factors for having it include:

• History of sunburns
• Excessive sun exposure
• Having fair skin
• Living in high-altitude or sunny climates
• Having a lot of moles
• Actinic keratoses
• Personal history of skin cancer
• Family history of skin cancer
• Radiation exposure
• Weakened immune system
• Exposure to toxins

To reduce your chance of getting skin cancer, protect your skin from the sun, avoid tanning beds, perform skin checks regularly, and report unusual skin lesions to Dr. Bond as soon as possible. 

How does my provider diagnose skin cancer?

To find out if you have skin cancer, Dr. Bond reviews your medical history and your symptoms. He examines tissues containing new or unusual skin changes. He may also take a sample of skin cells during a biopsy and send it to a lab for analysis, before tailoring your treatment plan. 

How is skin cancer treated?

Dr. Bond uses various methods to remove skin cancer, such as freezing, excisional surgery, electrodesiccation, cryotherapy, and Mohs surgery. During Mohs surgery, he removes skin-cancer tissues, layer by layer, and examines them under a microscope to make sure he removes all cancer cells with minimal scarring. 

In some cases, you may also need chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy that uses your body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells, photodynamic therapy (laser light and drugs), or other cancer treatments to reduce the chance of dangerous complications.

To find out if you have skin cancer or get treated for it, call James R. Bond, Jr., MD, PA, or schedule an appointment online today.