When Dr. Kenneth Neal works with patients at his Arlington area practice, he ensures he is providing them the best possible dermatological care. Concerns such as skin cancer may become a serious issue for patients in the Arlington area. A skin cancer screening at his office may uncover an unsuspecting area of cancer that needs to be addressed as soon as possible for the best recovery.
Screenings are done in the practice of Washington Dermatology Consultants to look from head to toe for possible signs of skin cancer. Dr. Kenneth Neal is experienced and thoroughly trained in detecting areas of concern by knowing what to look for on the skin and what may be an indication of an issue. If he finds an unusual growth, skin tag, or changes to moles that may be of concern, he will perform a biopsy. This requires removal of part of the skin to be sent to a laboratory for investigation and testing. If the area of skin indicates cancer, patients will then speak with their dermatologist about how to proceed with treatment.
Treatment for skin cancer typically requires simple excision. The cancerous skin cells are removed from the skin, the area is sutured to heal, and patients will be reevaluated regularly to ensure the skin cancer does not reoccur or that the cancer has not spread. Dr. Kenneth Neal will perform this procedure in his office. However, some patients may be better candidates for Mohs micrographic surgery. Mohs micrographic surgery is a procedure that is done for patients who have more “stubborn” forms of cancer that have greater potential to reoccur, or for patients with cancer on visible areas of the body such as the face. This is when cosmetic removal is more of a concern, and Mohs surgery may fit the bill.
Mohs micrographic surgery is a more precise procedure that removes skin layer by layer. Dr. Kenneth Neal will evaluate the skin for cancerous cells and continue to remove it until no more cancerous cells are visible. This treatment has a high recovery rate and allows patients to address skin cancer once and for all with a single surgery. Patients should continue to be evaluated by their dermatologist regularly to ensure the cancer has not spread or occurs elsewhere on the body after treatment.
