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Skin Cancer Surveillance Specialist

Ali Hendi, MD Our Services Skin Cancer Surveillance

Ali Hendi, MD

Skin Cancer Specialists & Mohs Surgeons located in Chevy Chase, MD

Skin cancer is the leading form of cancer in this country, but regular skin cancer surveillance can protect your health by catching skin cancer early. The team of skin cancer specialists at the office of Ali Hendi, MD, offers comprehensive visual exams to check for signs of disease. The practice includes Ali Hendi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and is conveniently located in Chevy Chase, Maryland. We proudly serve the Washington, DC/DMV and the surrounding areas including: Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Potomac, PG County, Baltimore County, Arlington, Mclean, Tysons Corner, Vienna, Chantilly, Alexandria, and Fairfax. Call today for skin cancer surveillance to safeguard your health.

Skin Cancer Surveillance

What are the common types of skin cancer?

Skin cancer comes in a variety of forms, and some kinds are more frequent or dangerous than others. More than 98% of skin cancers are either basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. 

Melanoma is another, less common type of skin cancer. Melanoma can be deadly unless it's detected and treated early.

Getting your skin checked regularly by the team at the office of Ali Hendi, MD helps to protect you by catching skin cancer early when it's easiest to cure.

Who benefits from skin cancer surveillance?

The team at the office of Ali Hendi, MD, typically recommends skin cancer surveillance if you’ve had skin cancer in the past, or have one or more of these risk factors:

  • Skin cancer in your family
  • Actinic keratosis
  • Abnormal moles
  • A lot of moles

Be sure to report changes in your skin or any unusual moles to your provider. 

What is skin cancer surveillance?

Skin cancer surveillance involves a comprehensive visual exam. The team at the office of Ali Hendi, MD, screens you for various types of skin cancer by looking for moles and other spots that are different in color or appearance from the rest of your skin. 

What happens during a skin cancer surveillance exam?

You'll disrobe in the exam room and then put on a gown. This allows your provider to examine your skin from head to toe, including these areas and more:

  • Behind your ears
  • Scalp
  • Toes
  • Fingers
  • Buttocks

It's important for your provider to thoroughly check any of the places that skin cancer may occur. During your exam, your provider pays particular attention to sores, particularly ones that haven’t healed quickly, or bumps on your skin that are shiny white, pink, translucent, or red.

They inspect your moles for signs of:

  • Bleeding
  • Oozing
  • Crusting
  • Irregular borders

Your provider may press on a mole to see if it’s painful to the touch, or use a special lighted magnifying glass to look at certain spots.

The exam should take 10-15 minutes. It doesn't require special preparation, but women may want to wear their hair down and avoid wearing nail polish.

If you're at risk for skin cancer, call the office of Ali Hendi, MD today to schedule your skin cancer surveillance exam.

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