Getting It AllUncommon care for the most common form of cancer Benjamin Mandel, M.D. By Kim Anderson Raise your hand if you grew up in the era of slathering on baby oil and basking in the sun. Now check that hand carefully. Spots that have an irregular shape, unusual color or seem to be changing may signal skin cancer. Skin cancer is currently the most common cancer in the United States, and an estimated 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. There are three major types of skin cancer—basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. All three typically appear in sunexposed areas of the body; however, they can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day. Skin cancer is very common, and, when detected early, it is also relatively easy to treat. Small, early skin cancers may be frozen using liquid nitrogen at a doctor’s office visit. Larger skin cancers can be removed by cutting away the skin cancer and taking a margin of healthy tissue around the cancer to be sure all the cancer is removed. A unique technique Because cancerous cells are not always easy to see, taking enough healthy tissue to make sure the cancer is gone while also leaving as much healthy tissue as possible can be a challenge. To help meet this challenge and provide the best clinical outcomes and patient experiences possible, Benjamin Mandel, M.D., at Kootenai Clinic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery uses a unique technique. “We call it CCPDMA, which stands for Complete Circumferential Peripheral and 14
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