Clinical Resource: How Dr. Justin McLawhorn Treats Early-Stage Melanoma — and Why Skin Checks Matter

Patients who come to me with a diagnosis  of melanoma often have an early stage of disease. The way we treat early stage melanomas  is through a simple incision. With an incision, patients can expect the skin to be marked  around the cancer, then to be numbed and then to have the skin cancer removed and  then subsequently sewn back together. Our team of then expert pathologists examine the  piece of skin underneath the microscope in order to ensure that the entire melanoma has  been completely removed. We are seeing that the incidence of melanoma has been steadily  increasing. In 2025, we expect melanoma to be the fifth most common cancer both in men and  in women, which emphasizes the importance of seeing your local friendly dermatologist for  routine skin checks. We also know that half of melanomas that are diagnosed are also brought to  the attention of a dermatologist by the patient. Routine skin self- exams can also be beneficial  in addition to using good skin sun safety.