Dr. Christine Lee spends most of her time on surgical procedures, treating patients who travel from all over the world for her specialized expertise.
Skin cancer
One of every 3 cancers diagnosed is either a melanoma or
non-melanoma skin cancer. One in every 5 Americans will be diagnosed
with skin cancer in his or her lifetime. Closer to home, 2 Californians
will die from melanoma each day.
Skin cancer is highly preventable and highly curable if
caught early. Dr. Lee offers many different surgical procedures, which
have a reputation for being precise ways to treat even recurrent or
complex cancers.
The surgical approach recommended for you depends in part on:
- Type of skin cancer present
- Stage of cancer
- Location of tumor
Perhaps the most well-known types of surgeries are simple excision and shave excision. For the simple surgery, the tumor is cut out along with a small amount of surrounding tissue. For the latter option, the affected area is shaved off with a small blade.
Lasers may also be used in place of a scalpel to cut tissue and remove lesions such as tumors. Since a narrow beam of intense, focused light is precisely directed to the treatment site to cut through tissues, laser surgery is also known as a bloodless alternative to excisions that use scalpels. Bloodless surgical alternatives are generally less traumatic to surrounding tissues and require less healing than conventional surgical tools. Plus, Dr. Lee trains others on more than 40 types of lasers. This level of access and experience ensures that you have a comfortable, customized experience and get desired results from treatment.
Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Not every dermatologist in the East Bay is equipped to offer Mohs Micrographic Surgery, a highly precise way to treat the most common types of skin cancer and even some melanomas.
Dr. Lee has obtained certification and appropriate experience to earn membership in the American College of Mohs Surgery. She will expertly remove cancerous skin cells in progressive steps. This in-office surgical procedure will start with the doctor cutting the visible tumor. After this surface tumor is removed, the tissue and its edges will be viewed under a microscope. If Dr. Lee still sees cancer cells, the process is repeated again with another small layer of tissue removed. These steps will be repeated until no more cancer cells are seen.
Due to this precise approach, Mohs Micrographic Surgery has a potential cure rate of up to 99 percent. Patients appreciate that this technique also spares otherwise healthy tissue. For these reasons, it is considered the preferred method to treat large, complex or recurrent cancers, or cancers on the face and other visible or sensitive areas.
Don’t delay to schedule a professional skin check at East Bay Laser and Skin Care Center. Call (925) 500-1180.