Skin Cancer Program at Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County
At Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County, we’re experts in skin cancer treatment.
Whether you've been diagnosed with an early-stage basal cell carcinoma or a more aggressive melanoma, we create a treatment plan that’s tailored just for you – right here in Southern California.
Skin Cancer Program at Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County
At Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County, we’re experts in skin cancer treatment.
Whether you've been diagnosed with an early-stage basal cell carcinoma or a more aggressive melanoma, we create a treatment plan that’s tailored just for you – right here in Southern California.
Our Approach to Skin Cancer Care
When it comes to finding the best treatment for your skin cancer, we take a team approach. Surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, as well as radiologists, pathologists and geneticists, all weigh in on how to treat your skin cancer. Together, we design your personalized cancer care plan.
We host regular skin cancer conferences to discuss more complex cases. Additionally, we work closely with dermatologists in the community to ensure that you continue to receive the follow-up care and support you need after treatment.
With so many people invested in your health, you can trust us to manage your care and focus on getting well.
Skin Cancers We Treat
We treat patients with all types of skin cancers, including:
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Melanoma
- Merkel cell carcinoma
- Non-melanoma skin cancers
- Squamous cell carcinoma
Meet Our Expert Cancer Team
At the Providence Orange County Cancer Institute, our multi-disciplinary team is committed to providing expert care to every patient. We work together to deliver a personalized approach to prevention and treatment, supporting you at every stage. With our collaborative expertise, you receive dedicated guidance and compassionate support throughout your journey.
Testing and Diagnostics
Evaluation is an important step that helps us assess the stage and type of cancer and guides the next steps in your treatment with confidence and precision. We start with advanced imaging and testing to help determine if skin cancer is present, or if it has spread.
We may also recommend genetic testing to assess inherited risks and determine the best treatment options for you.
BRAF is a gene involved in cell growth and division. BRAF testing looks at the genetic makeup of your melanoma to see if it carries a BRAF gene mutation, which is found in about half of all melanoma cases.
If we find the BRAF mutation, we have a better understanding of your cancer and/or your cancer risk. Knowing if this mutation is present helps us personalize your treatment, using targeted therapies to potentially improve outcomes and reduce side effects.
Dermatoscopy is a noninvasive diagnostic technique where a skin lesion is examined using a dermatoscope – a specialized, hand-held magnifier – to help determine if skin cancer is present.
Genetic tests, also known as genetic screenings, DNA tests or chromosomal tests, can help determine your risk of developing certain cancers, especially if you have a family history of cancer. We offer treatment, management and prevention plans that are personalized to your unique genetic profile.
A PET scan is a nuclear imaging procedure that uses a combination of computer technology and a radioactive imaging agent called a tracer to produce clear, high-resolution images of the body and its various functions in real-time and in 3D. They allow doctors to evaluate a wide range of conditions – including brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and a variety of cancers – and provide more accurate diagnoses, targeted treatments and better outcomes for our patients.
During a skin lesion biopsy, a small amount of tissue is removed for testing with a scalpel, razor or punch biopsy tool to determine if an infection, skin disorder and/or cancer is present.
Services and Treatments
No two skin cancers are the exact same, so neither are the treatment plans. Many patients with skin cancer benefit from surgery, but you may receive different skin cancer treatment options, which could even include a combination of different therapies and procedures.
Medical oncology uses systemic therapies that travel through the bloodstream to treat cancer that has spread to other areas of the body or has a high risk of spreading. Sophisticated genetic analysis allows some of these therapies to target specific DNA mutations that cause cancer cells to develop and grow.
Immunotherapy boosts or restores the body’s natural defenses. Cellular therapies, stem cell transplants and biologic therapies use your own cells to fight disease and support recovery.
Molecularly targeted therapy uses drugs – including oral and intravenous (IV) biologics – to target specific molecules that allow cancer to grow. This therapy enables personalized treatment for patients, especially those who carry certain genetic mutations or abnormalities.
Surgical therapies involve an operation or procedure to remove cancer from the body. Surgery may be the main treatment for some invasive cancers, but it’s only one part of the entire treatment plan.
Regional nodal dissection, also referred to as regional lymphadenectomy, is the surgical removal of lymph nodes near a tumor. The nodes are then checked for the presence of cancer cells.
Sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses tracer material to map, identify and remove the first lymph nodes where cancer cells are most likely to spread from the primary tumor.
Simple excision is a procedure to remove an abnormality from the body like a cyst, mole or a suspected skin cancer lesion.
Wide excision is a procedure to remove aggressive melanoma, an advanced type of skin cancer. It involves surgical removal of the cancer cells and a margin of the surrounding healthy tissue to help ensure that no cancerous cells remain.
Radiation is effective in killing cancer cells and shrinking tumors. It can be used alone or in combination with other cancer treatments.
IMRT and VMAT are advanced types of radiation therapies:
- IMRT uses advanced technology to manipulate the radiation beams to conform to the shape of a tumor.
- VMAT is a subtype of IMRT in which the machine actively delivers radiation beams while moving in an arc around the patient.
The arc-based therapy provided via VMAT delivers high doses of radiation to more focused areas, reducing side effects, toxicity and harm to vital organs and the overall treatment time.
Learn more about intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
Both SABR and SBRT deliver high-dose radiation to a specific area with very precise targeting through special immobilization and imaging techniques. These therapies can include stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) systems like CyberKnife, which delivers precisely targeted radiation using a robotic delivery system with sub-millimeter accuracy. SABR and SBRT are often outpatient procedures, so you could go home the same day.
SGRT/SIGRT uses real-time beam guidance and surface-recognition technology to target tumors, reducing side effects and harm to vital organs. This therapy can be used in conjunction with IMRT and VMAT to help guide your positioning during treatment and account for any involuntary movement, making it less invasive and potentially more comfortable for you.
3DCRT uses 3D planning and CT imaging to better target tumors and cancerous areas and improve the outcome of radiation treatment. It also limits the damage to healthy tissue, potentially decreasing risks like infection and minimizing side effects.
Learn more about three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)
Additional therapies may also be part of the treatment plan for a small number of patients.
Intralesional therapy is an injection of anti-cancer therapy directly into a cancerous tumor, also known as a lesion. By delivering anti-cancer treatment directly into the tumor, patients tend to experience better outcomes and fewer or less intense side effects.
This advanced procedure can only be delivered by specially trained and highly experienced physicians.
Lymphedema therapy addresses the buildup of lymph fluid that can be caused by cancer or cancer treatment.
To improve lymphatic drainage, your care team might use a combination of treatments, including specialized massage, compression therapy – the wrapping of an extremity to apply consistent pressure to the affected area – or the use of mechanical pumps to help fluid circulate.
A talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) injection is a specific type of intralesional therapy that uses a modified strain of the herpes virus to kill melanoma cells. The virus is injected directly into the tumor to target cancer cells and avoid healthy tissue. By delivering this treatment directly into the tumor, patients tend to experience better outcomes and fewer or less intense side effects.
Patient Resources & Support
Get a second opinion from our world-class cancer experts, so that you can make important decisions about your treatment plan and move forward with confidence. Our web page will walk you through the next steps and let you know how to prepare for your appointment.
Are you looking for a clinical trial, either for yourself or a patient? Currently, Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County is involved in over 100 ongoing clinical trials.
We offer comprehensive support services – including oncology nurse navigators, transportation services and financial counseling – to help you and your loved ones throughout your cancer journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s normal for your skin to change over time, but certain signs could point to skin cancer. Look for new or changing moles or spots, especially if they follow the ABCDE rule:
- Asymmetry – one half doesn’t match the other
- Border – irregular, jagged or blurred edges
- Color – uneven shades of brown, black or other colors
- Diameter – larger than 6mm, which is about the size of a pencil eraser
- Evolving – any change in size, shape, color or texture
Changes to your skin don’t necessarily mean you have cancer, but they should signal that it's time to see a dermatologist.
Treatment for skin cancer depends on the type and stage of the cancer – especially if you have melanoma. For less severe skin cancer, your dermatologist may be able to treat it. But for more advanced skin cancer, your dermatologist will likely refer you to a surgical oncologist.
Surgery is the most common, and often the most effective, treatment for melanoma. Some patients may need immunotherapy before surgery to help shrink the tumor. Others require further treatment after surgery from a medical oncologist.
Melanoma has a high growth rate, so fast treatment is important. We try to see patients within a week or two of their diagnosis.
Skin cancer or melanoma often requires a combination of approaches to achieve the best outcome, so it’s likely that your care plan could include more than one type of treatment.
Surgery alone might be enough for early-stage cancer that hasn’t spread, but additional treatments like radiation therapy, immunotherapy or molecularly targeted therapy may be needed to target cancer cells throughout the body, reduce the risk of recurrence or improve overall effectiveness.
Our skin cancer experts tailor treatment to your specific diagnosis, working to achieve the highest likelihood of success.
Skin cancer surgery removes the area of the skin with cancer. Before your surgery, your surgeon and nurse practitioner explain everything you can expect in detail.
Most surgeries take between 30-90 minutes. Your surgical oncologist may work with a plastic surgeon, depending on where your skin cancer is located and how much it affects the skin’s function and appearance.
Some patients receive a skin graft, where healthy skin is taken from one part of the body and transplanted to the damaged area.
Not always. Your skin cancer is unique to you. For many patients, surgery offers an effective way to remove skin cancer completely.
However, if you’ve had melanoma, it’s likely that you’ll face a higher risk of experiencing it again. Follow-up care is important, so that we can catch any signs of recurrence as early as possible when cancer is most treatable.
Every 3-6 months for the next 5 years, you’ll have a thorough, full-body skin exam to make sure that you don’t have any new signs or symptoms of skin cancer. If new signs of skin cancer don’t emerge, then it’s likely you can return to getting skin exams once a year.
Your cancer care team always consists of highly skilled, multidisciplinary experts.
Depending on your needs and the course of your treatment plan, you might work with a combination of the following:
- Cancer genetic counselors
- Cancer surgeons
- Clinical research professionals
- Dermatologists
- Dermatopathologists, who study the skin at a microscopic level
- Medical oncologists
- Oncology nurse navigator
- Plastic and reconstructive surgeons
- Radiation oncologists
- Radiologists
- Rehabilitation specialists
Yes, our supportive services at Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County include financial resources that can help ease your way through financial concerns and barriers.
Our staff can help:
- Evaluate insurance health plans to see if your care choices are covered
- Leverage available programs and services, such as co-pay assistance and patient assistance programs to help reduce financial barriers
- Optimize external assistance programs, such as patient financial support programs
Your oncology nurse navigator can also refer you to a social worker who will connect you with the financial support resources that you need.
An oncology nurse navigator is a nurse or registered clinician who personally guides you from diagnosis through survivorship. They are your advocate, here to provide support and reassurance tailored to your needs – whether that's occasional conversations or daily check-ins.
Your navigator can coordinate your appointments, speak directly with your primary care physician, provide support to lower your stress, talk to your loved ones and help you access all the resources that you need.