Skin Cancer
Prevention, Detection, & Treatment
Rao Dermatology (skin cancer detection and treatment) is proud to offer comprehensive medical and cosmetic dermatology services.
The standout services that we offer here at Rao Dermatology are our comprehensive skin cancer diagnostics and treatment options. We are equipped with the most advanced non-invasive technology and the specialists to fully utilize them diagnose skin cancer, especially melanoma.
A malignant melanoma as seen through a dermatoscope
A malignant melanoma as viewed with confocal microscopy
A biopsied malignant melanoma as seen through a microscope
Here is an example of the step by step process to determine whether a patient is a candidate for MOHS surgery.
Initally, a suspicious lesion or mole will be viewed by the dermatologist with the naked eye, who will then examine it with a dermatoscope.
The lesion will then be subjected to laser skin imaging with a confocal microscope. When used appropriately by an expert confocalist, this technology can spare a patient from an unnecessary biopsy or in some cases, can diagnose melanoma/skin cancer which would not have been detected by the naked eye alone.
After confocal microscopy and analysis, if the lesion is still classified as suspicious, the physician will perform a skin biopsy, which is still the gold standard for diagnosing benign from malignant lesions. At The Skin and Cancer Center of (Manhattan) New York, we always have a board certified dermatopathologist on-site to review these biopsies and correlate with the clinical impression, thus managing the patient in the most effective possible way.
Images Courtesy: Dr P Guitera, Dr S Menzies, Prof R Scolyer, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney