Why Choose Us for Skin Cancer Treatment
Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Skin Cancers Care Team provides personalized, state-of-the-art care for people with all types of skin cancers. As the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, we are a leader in skin cancer treatment and research, offering the most advanced treatments available, groundbreaking clinical trials, and unparalleled expertise.
We use a multidisciplinary team approach to serve our patients. Together, we review each case, coordinate treatment, and plan follow-up care to ensure you or your loved one receives compassionate support at every step.
Specialized Treatments
Our Skin Cancers Care Team specializes in personalized treatment plans using the latest advances in care, including immunotherapy and therapies designed to target specific genetic features of a tumor.
We work closely with each patient to decide which of the following treatments or combination of treatments is best for them:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Biologic therapy
- Photodynamic therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Clinical trials
Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Skin Cancers Program also cares for people with a family history of skin cancer. And, in partnership with ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ of Utah ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ Dermatology ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ, we provide care for people at a higher-than-average risk for developing skin cancer.
Our Expertise
Our team of experts diagnose and treat all types of skin cancers and conditions:
Other rare skin cancers:
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- Extramammary Paget’s disease
- Merkel cell carcinoma
Patient Care Philosophy
We believe no one should face cancer alone. Our dedicated and world-renowned doctors, nurses, and medical staff are at the forefront of patient-centered care. We treat the whole person, not just their cancer.
Each day, our medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists work together across disciplines to create and coordinate treatment plans for every patient. We understand cancer is a complex disease. That is why we use a team approach that includes social workers and support groups, as well as wellness and integrative health services such as acupuncture, massage, creative arts, and more.
Find a Skin Cancer Doctor
Skin Cancer Research
Huntsman Cancer Institute is nationally recognized for our skin cancer research, making discoveries that are changing how this disease is prevented, detected, and treated. Our specialty brings together doctors and scientists who work side by side to turn scientific discoveries into better outcomes for you. For example, our scientists have made major breakthroughs in understanding how melanoma spreads and identifying new ways to stop it before it reaches the brain or other organs.
We lead and participate in national and international clinical trials, including studies focused on early detection and promising new treatments. With the largest Phase 1 clinical trials program in the Mountain West, Huntsman Cancer Institute gives skin cancer patients access to cutting-edge therapies not widely available elsewhere.
Clinical Trials
Make an appointment with a skin cancer specialist
To make an appointment with a skin cancer specialist, fill out our appointment form or call 801-587-7000. Our team will determine if your insurance covers treatment at Huntsman Cancer Institute or if you need a referral from a primary care doctor.
External providers can refer a patient using the online referral form or by calling 801-587-7000 to speak to a patient registration specialist.
Skin Cancer Basics
Skin cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells form in the tissues of the dermis, or skin. These are the most common types of skin cancer:
Other, rare skin cancers include the following:
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma—A type of cancer that begins in T cells within the skin.
- Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma—A type of cancer that begins in B cells within the skin.
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans—A soft-tissue sarcoma that starts in the skin.
- Extramammary Paget’s disease—A skin disease that appears mostly around the genitals or armpit areas.
- Merkel cell carcinoma—An aggressive skin cancer that begins in the Merkel cells, which are found in the epidermis, or outermost layer of the skin.
Symptoms vary depending on the type and stage of skin cancer. However, there are several symptoms that are common to many skin cancers:
- Changes in existing moles (e.g., shape, size, color)
- New skin growth or spots
- Sores that don't heal
- Unusual areas of the skin:
- Raised, smooth, shiny, and pearly
- Firm and like a scar; may be white, yellow, or waxy
- Raised and red or reddish-brown
- Scaly, bleeding, or crusty
Many other conditions can also cause these signs. If you have any of these signs, see your doctor as soon as possible.
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean you are sure to get cancer. It means your chances are higher than the average person’s. Talk with your doctor to learn more about your cancer risk.
These are risk factors for skin cancer:
- Sun exposure
- A personal history of skin cancer
- Family history of melanoma and numerous/unusual moles
- Having sunburns that blistered, especially as a ÑÇÖÞ×ÔοÊÓƵ or teenager
- Prior use of tanning beds
- Having numerous (>50) moles
- Having unusual moles (very large or irregular shapes)
- Having fair skin that freckles and burns easily, or does not tan or tans poorly
- Red hair and blue, green, gray, or light-colored eyes
- Having radiation treatments in the past
- Having actinic keratoses (pre-cancers)
- Having a weakened immune system, which includes the following:
- Those who have organ transplants and are on immune-suppressing medications
- Patients with metastatic cancer
- Individuals actively on treatment for cancer
Learn more about ways to prevent skin cancer and about family history and genetic counseling.
Screening looks for cancer before you have symptoms. Screening can also check for anything unusual if you notice changes in your skin. Screening can rule out an issue or help find cancer at an early stage, when it may be easier to treat.
Doctors use these tests to screen for and diagnose skin cancer:
Skin Exam
A health care provider checks for moles, birthmarks, or other pigmented areas that look abnormal in color, size, shape, or texture.
Mole mapping
Mole mapping uses high-resolution photographs to take an inventory of all lesions on your body. Mole mapping pictures provide a way to track changes on your skin if you have many unusual moles or if you have a history of skin cancer.
Biopsy
The health care provider removes a tissue sample that can be viewed under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
Staging is the process that shows whether cancer has spread within or around the skin or to other parts of the body. Cancer spreads in the body in three ways: through tissue, the lymph system, or the blood.
Staging details depend on the specific type of skin cancer, but most types are staged from 0 to 4. The higher the number, the more the cancer has spread.
When cancer spreads from where it started to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. These metastatic cancer cells are the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if skin cancer spreads to the brain, the cancer cells in the bone are actually skin cancer cells. The disease is metastatic skin cancer, not brain cancer.
