Skin Cancer
This section will cover non-melanoma skin cancer and melanoma.
Disease Information
Use the sections below to review diagnosis, staging, and treatment information for each condition in one place.
Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Skin cancer (non-melanoma) is the most common type of cancer in the United States. The two most common types of skin cancer are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer, named for the types of cells that become cancerous.
These cancers usually form on the head, face, neck, hands, and arms. These areas are exposed to the sun. But skin cancer can occur anywhere.
- Basal cell skin cancer grows slowly. It usually occurs on areas of the skin that have been in the sun. It is most common on the face. Basal cell cancer rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
- Squamous cell skin cancer also occurs on parts of the skin that have been in the sun. But it also may be in places that are not in the sun. Squamous cell cancer sometimes spreads to lymph nodes and organs inside the body.
If skin cancer spreads from its original place to another part of the body, the new growth has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary growth. It is still called skin cancer.
Early detection is key—spotting the warning signs and understanding your risk can make all the difference in successful treatment. This guide will help you recognize risk factors, identify symptoms, perform skin self-exams, and take steps to prevent skin cancer.
What are the risk factors for non-melanoma skin cancer?
- UV radiation exposure: Exposure to UV radiation, either from the sun or tanning lamps, is the biggest risk for skin cancer.
- Fair skin: People with fair skin, freckling, or red or blond hair have a higher risk.
- Climate/Geography: People who live in sunny climates or in southern states are at an increased risk for skin cancer.
- Moles: The presence of many moles increases a person’s chance of getting melanoma.
- Age: The chances of developing skin cancer increase with age.
- Personal/Family history: A history of skin cancer can put people at higher risk.
- Weakened immune system: People with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to skin cancer.
What are the signs and symptoms of non-melanoma skin cancer?
If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your physician.
- Firm, pale, or yellow scar-like areas
- Raised, itchy, reddish patches
- Rough or scaly red patches
- Raised growths or lumps, sometimes with a lower area in the center
- Open sores that don’t heal
- Moles wider than ¼ inch that are asymmetrical, have edges that are ragged, and/or have a splotchy color
Screening for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Most skin cancers are found by watching for visual changes in the skin. Regular exams by your doctor and checking your own skin frequently can help find many skin cancers early when they are easier to treat.
Why are self-exams important?
When detected early, skin cancer is almost always curable. This is why getting to know your skin through regular self-exams is so important, so that any new or changing marks or lesions can be caught quickly.
Lesions, ulcers, or tumors on the skin should be checked out by a skin cancer specialist right away. Marks and moles should be documented and monitored for changes during your self-exams. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends head-to-toe self-examinations of the skin once a month and an annual exam by a dermatologist once a year.
How to Check Your Skin
To complete a self-exam, you will need to carefully examine the entire surface of your skin. Spots typically include freckles, moles, birthmarks, age spots, bumps, sores, scabs, open wounds that bleed, and scaly patches. You can use a hand mirror to help you check hard-to-see areas or ask a partner or close friend to help. Check regularly and note any changes. If you do see any changes or have other concerns, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Examine your body front and back in the mirror, then look at the right and left sides with your arms raised. Women should lift breasts to view the undersides.
- Bend elbows and look carefully at forearms, underarms, and palms. Also check between fingers and under fingernails.
- Look at the backs of your legs and feet, between your toes, and the soles of your feet.
- Check the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror. Part the hair to get a closer look. A hair dryer may be helpful in raising up hair so it’s easier to see.
- Examine your back and buttocks with a hand mirror.
Sun exposure isn’t the only risk factor when it comes to developing skin cancer; that is why it’s important to examine all of your skin, including places that aren’t often (or ever) exposed to the sun or UV rays.
Prevention of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
- Cover up when you're in the sun to reduce exposure to dangerous UV rays.
- Say no to tanning. The UV ray exposure is dangerous. This includes both the sun and tanning beds.
- Wear sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher and follow directions for reapplication. Pay close attention to areas like your face, arms, or any area not covered by clothing.
- Stay in the shade. Hang out in a shaded area to reduce your sun exposure.
- Sunglasses that block UV rays can help to protect your eye area from the sun.
How is non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed?
If you have a change on the skin, the doctor must find out whether it is due to cancer or to some other cause. Your doctor removes all or part of the area that does not look normal. The sample goes to a lab. A pathologist checks the sample under a microscope. This is a biopsy. A biopsy is the only sure way to diagnose skin cancer.
You may have the biopsy in a doctor’s office or as an outpatient in a clinic or hospital. Where it is done depends on the size and place of the abnormal area on your skin. You probably will have local anesthesia.
There are four common types of skin biopsies:
- Punch biopsy: The doctor uses a sharp, hollow tool to remove a circle of tissue from the abnormal area.
- Incisional biopsy: The doctor uses a scalpel to remove part of the growth.
- Excisional biopsy: The doctor uses a scalpel to remove the entire growth and some tissue around it.
- Shave biopsy: The doctor uses a thin, sharp blade to shave off the abnormal growth.
How is non-melanoma skin cancer staged?
If the biopsy shows that you have cancer, your doctor needs to know the extent (stage) of the disease. In very few cases, the doctor may check your lymph nodes to stage the cancer.
The stage is based on:
- The size of the growth
- How deeply it has grown beneath the top layer of skin
- Whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body
Stages of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
- Stage 0: The cancer involves only the top layer of skin. It is carcinoma in situ.
- Stage I: The growth is 2 centimeters wide (three-quarters of an inch) or smaller.
- Stage II: The growth is larger than 2 centimeters wide (three-quarters of an inch).
- Stage III: The cancer has spread below the skin to cartilage, muscle, bone, or to nearby lymph nodes. It has not spread to other places in the body.
- Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other places in the body
How is non-melanoma skin cancer treated?
Your doctor can describe your treatment choices and what to expect. You and your doctor can work together to develop a treatment plan that meets your needs.
Sometimes all of the cancer is removed during the biopsy. In such cases, no more treatment is needed. If you do need more treatment, your doctor will describe your options.
Treatment for skin cancer depends on the type and stage of the disease, the size and place of the growth, and your general health and medical history. In most cases, the aim of treatment is to remove or destroy the cancer completely.
It often helps to make a list of questions before an appointment. To help remember what the doctor says, you may take notes or ask whether you may use a tape recorder. You may also want to have a family member or friend with you when you talk to the doctor — to take part in the discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.
Surgery
Surgery to treat skin cancer may be done in one of several ways. The method your doctor uses depends on the size and place of the growth and other factors.
Your doctor can further describe these types of surgery:
- Excisional skin surgery is a common treatment to remove skin cancer. After numbing the area, the surgeon removes the growth with a scalpel. The surgeon also removes a border of skin around the growth. This skin is the margin. The margin is examined under a microscope to be certain that all the cancer cells have been removed. The size of the margin depends on the size of the growth.
- Mohs surgery (also called Mohs micrographic surgery) is often used for skin cancer. The area of the growth is numbed. A specially trained surgeon shaves away thin layers of the growth. Each layer is immediately examined under a microscope. The surgeon continues to shave away tissue until no cancer cells can be seen under the microscope. In this way, the surgeon can remove all the cancer and only a small bit of healthy tissue.
- Electrodesiccation and curettage is often used to remove small basal cell skin cancers. The doctor numbs the area to be treated. The cancer is removed with a sharp tool shaped like a spoon. This tool is a curette. An electric current is sent into the treated area to control bleeding and kill any cancer cells that may be left. Electrodesiccation and curettage is usually a fast and simple procedure.
- Cryosurgery is often used for people who are not able to have other types of surgery. It uses extreme cold to treat early stage or very thin skin cancer. Liquid nitrogen creates the cold. The doctor applies liquid nitrogen directly to the skin growth. This treatment may cause swelling. It also may damage nerves, which can cause a loss of feeling in the damaged area. The NCI fact sheet “Cryosurgery in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers” has more information.
- Laser surgery uses a narrow beam of light to remove or destroy cancer cells. It is most often used for growths that are on the outer layer of skin only. The NCI fact sheet “Lasers in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers” has more information.
- Grafts are sometimes needed to close an opening in the skin left by surgery. The surgeon first numbs and then removes a patch of healthy skin from another part of the body, such as the upper thigh. The patch is then used to cover the area where skin cancer was removed. If you have a skin graft, you may have to take special care of the area until it heals.
Topical Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to kill skin cancer cells. When a drug is put directly on the skin, the treatment is topical chemotherapy. It is most often used when the skin cancer is too large for surgery. It is also used when the doctor keeps finding new cancers.
Most often, the drug comes in a cream or lotion. It is usually applied to the skin one or two times a day for several weeks. A drug called fluorouracil (5-FU) is used to treat basal cell and squamous cell cancers that are in the top layer of the skin only. A drug called imiquimod also is used to treat basal cell cancer only in the top layer of skin.
Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a chemical along with a special light source, such as a laser light, to kill cancer cells. The chemical is a photosensitizing agent. A cream is applied to the skin or the chemical is injected. It stays in cancer cells longer than in normal cells. Several hours or days later, the special light is focused on the growth. The chemical becomes active and destroys nearby cancer cells.
PDT is used to treat cancer on or very near the surface of the skin.
The side effects of PDT are usually not serious. PDT may cause burning or stinging pain. It also may cause burns, swelling, or redness. It may scar healthy tissue near the growth. If you have PDT, you will need to avoid direct sunlight and bright indoor light for at least 6 weeks after treatment.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.
Radiation therapy works by causing DNA damage in cancer cells that cannot be repaired and leads to cancer cell death. It can be given externally or internally, depending on the type and location of the tumor. External radiation is delivered by a machine called a linear accelerator that generates high-energy beams that are precisely directed into the tumor. External beam radiotherapy is delivered over several days or many weeks depending on a variety of factors.
Internal radiation therapy, also known as brachytherapy, uses radioactive sources that can be temporarily inserted or permanently implanted in the operating room. Radiation from the implant travels only a short distance, which spares most tissues from treatment side effects.
Many patients with basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers will be treated surgically with excellent results. For selected patients who cannot (or choose not to) be treated surgically, high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy at Virginia Cancer Specialists provides an effective treatment alternative with few side effects. HDR brachytherapy for skin cancer is:
- Customized for each individual patient
- Non-invasive
- Favorable in cosmetic outcome
- Excellent in local control rates
- Performed in a convenient outpatient setting
- Fast. For appropriate patients, HDR brachytherapy provides optimal convenience and minimal disruption of a demanding day-to-day schedule. In comparison to a course of standard radiotherapy, HDR brachytherapy is considerably shorter (6-10 treatments vs. 30 treatments). Each HDR treatment lasts only a few minutes.
- Precise. In contrast to standard radiotherapy, HDR brachytherapy focuses on the tumor with a more superficial beam. As a result, HDR brachytherapy results in less radiation delivered to a patient’s deeper, healthy tissues. Since the applicator is in contact with the skin, small patient movements do not affect targeting, unlike standard radiotherapy.
What is melanoma?
In some parts of the world, especially among Western countries, melanoma is becoming more common every year. In the United States, for example, the percentage of people who develop melanoma has more than doubled in the past 30 years.
What are the risk factors for melanoma?
- UV radiation exposure: Exposure to UV radiation, either from the sun or tanning lamps, is the biggest risk for skin cancer.
- Fair skin: People with fair skin, freckling, or red or blond hair have a higher risk.
- Climate/Geography: People who live in sunny climates or in southern states are at an increased risk for skin cancer.
- Moles: The presence of many moles increases a person’s chance of getting melanoma.
- Age: The chances of developing skin cancer increase with age.
- Personal/Family history: A history of skin cancer can put people at higher risk.
- Weakened immune system: People with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to skin cancer.
What are the signs and symptoms of melanoma?
If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your physician.
- Firm, pale, or yellow scar-like areas
- Raised, itchy, reddish patches
- Rough or scaly red patches
- Raised growths or lumps, sometimes with a lower area in the center
- Open sores that don’t heal
- Moles wider than ¼ inch that are asymmetrical, have edges that are ragged, and/or have a splotchy color
Screening for Melanoma Skin Cancer
Most skin cancers are found by watching for visual changes in the skin. Regular exams by your doctor and checking your own skin frequently can help find many skin cancers early when they are easier to treat.
Why are self-exams important?
When detected early, skin cancer is almost always curable. This is why getting to know your skin through regular self-exams is so important, so that any new or changing marks or lesions can be caught quickly.
Lesions, ulcers, or tumors on the skin should be checked out by a skin cancer specialist right away. Marks and moles should be documented and monitored for changes during your self-exams. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends head-to-toe self-examinations of the skin once a month and an annual exam by a dermatologist once a year.
How to Check Your Skin
To complete a self-exam, you will need to carefully examine the entire surface of your skin. Spots typically include freckles, moles, birthmarks, age spots, bumps, sores, scabs, open wounds that bleed, and scaly patches. You can use a hand mirror to help you check hard-to-see areas or ask a partner or close friend to help. Check regularly and note any changes. If you do see any changes or have other concerns, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Examine your body front and back in the mirror, then look at the right and left sides with your arms raised. Women should lift breasts to view the undersides.
- Bend elbows and look carefully at forearms, underarms, and palms. Also check between fingers and under fingernails.
- Look at the backs of your legs and feet, between your toes, and the soles of your feet.
- Check the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror. Part the hair to get a closer look. A hair dryer may be helpful in raising up hair so it’s easier to see.
- Examine your back and buttocks with a hand mirror.
Sun exposure isn’t the only risk factor when it comes to developing skin cancer; that is why it’s important to examine all of your skin, including places that aren’t often (or ever) exposed to the sun or UV rays.
Prevention of Melanoma Skin Cancer
- Cover up when you're in the sun to reduce exposure to dangerous UV rays.
- Say no to tanning. The UV ray exposure is dangerous. This includes both the sun and tanning beds.
- Wear sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher and follow directions for reapplication. Pay close attention to areas like your face, arms, or any area not covered by clothing.
- Stay in the shade. Hang out in a shaded area to reduce your sun exposure.
- Sunglasses that block UV rays can help to protect your eye area from the sun.
How is melanoma diagnosed?
If the doctor suspects that a spot on the skin is melanoma, the patient will need to have a biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis. In this procedure, the doctor tries to remove all of the suspicious-looking growth. This is an excisional biopsy. If the growth is too large to be removed entirely, the doctor removes a sample of the tissue. The doctor will never “shave off” or cauterize a growth that might be melanoma.
A biopsy can usually be done in the doctor’s office using local anesthesia. A pathologist then examines the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Sometimes it is helpful for more than one pathologist to check the tissue for cancer cells.
How is melanoma staged?
If the diagnosis is melanoma, the doctor needs to learn the extent, or stage, of the disease before planning treatment. Staging is a careful attempt to learn how thick the tumor is, how deeply the melanoma has invaded the skin, and whether melanoma cells have spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body. The doctor may remove nearby lymph nodes to check for cancer cells. (Such surgery may be considered part of the treatment because removing cancerous lymph nodes may help control the disease.) The doctor also does a careful physical exam and, if the tumor is thick, may order chest x-rays, blood tests, and scans of the liver, bones, and brain.
The following stages are used for melanoma:
- Stage 0: In stage 0, the melanoma cells are found only in the outer layer of skin cells and have not invaded deeper tissues.
- Stage I: Melanoma in stage I is thin:
- The tumor is no more than 1 millimeter (1/25 inch) thick. The outer layer (epidermis) of skin may appear scraped. (This is called an ulceration).
- Or, the tumor is between 1 and 2 millimeters (1/12 inch) thick. There is no ulceration. The melanoma cells have not spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- Stage II: The tumor is at least 1 millimeter thick:
- The tumor is between 1 and 2 millimeters thick. There is ulceration.
- Or, the thickness of the tumor is more than 2 millimeters. There may be ulceration. The melanoma cells have not spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- Stage III: The melanoma cells have spread to nearby tissues:
- The melanoma cells have spread to one or more nearby lymph nodes.
- Or, the melanoma cells have spread to tissues just outside the original tumor but not to any lymph nodes.
- Stage IV: The melanoma cells have spread to other organs, to lymph nodes, or to skin areas far away from the original tumor.
- Recurrent: Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may have come back in the original site or in another part of the body.
How is melanoma treated?
Different types of treatment are available for patients with melanoma. These are the five treatment options commonly used for melanoma depending on the stage of the cancer.
Surgery to Treat Melanoma
Surgery to remove the tumor is the primary treatment of all stages of melanoma. The doctor may remove the tumor as well as check to see if the cancer has spread to the lymph system.
- Wide local excision: Surgery to remove the melanoma and some of the normal tissue around it. Some of the lymph nodes may also be removed.
- Lymphadenectomy: A surgical procedure in which the lymph nodes are removed and a sample of tissue is checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy: The removal of the sentinel lymph node (the first lymph node the cancer is likely to spread to from the tumor) during surgery. A radioactive substance and/or blue dye is injected near the tumor. The substance or dye flows through the lymph ducts to the lymph nodes. The first lymph node to receive the substance or dye is removed. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. If cancer cells are not found, it may not be necessary to remove more lymph nodes.
- Skin grafting (taking skin from another part of the body to replace the skin that is removed) may be done to cover the wound caused by surgery.
Chemotherapy to Treat Melanoma
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body. This is called systemic chemotherapy.
When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas. This is regional chemotherapy.
One type of regional chemotherapy used for melanoma patients is used to inject the anticancer drugs directly to the arm or leg the cancer is in. The flow of blood to and from the limb is temporarily stopped with a tourniquet. A warm solution with the anticancer drugs is put directly into the blood of the limb. This gives a high dose of drugs to the area where the cancer is.
The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Even if the doctor removes all the melanoma during surgery, there can be some left that can’t be seen. Some patients may be offered chemotherapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Chemotherapy given after surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
Radiation Therapy to Treat Melanoma
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.
Biologic Therapy to Treat Melanoma
Biologic therapy is a treatment that uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy.
Interferon and interleukin-2 (IL-2) are types of biologic therapy used to treat melanoma. Interferon affects the division of cancer cells and can slow tumor growth. IL-2 boosts the growth and activity of many immune cells, especially lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). Lymphocytes can attack and kill cancer cells.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is a type of biologic therapy used with other treatments for melanoma. TNF is a protein made by white blood cells in response to an antigen or infection. Tumor necrosis factor can be made in the laboratory and used as a treatment to kill cancer cells.
Targeted Therapy to Treat Melanoma
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. The following types of targeted therapy are being used in the treatment of melanoma:
Monoclonal antibody therapy: A cancer treatment that uses antibodies made in the laboratory, from a single type of immune system cell. These antibodies can identify substances on cancer cells or normal substances that may help cancer cells grow. The antibodies attach to the substances and kill the cancer cells, block their growth, or keep them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion. They may be used alone or to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly to cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies may be used with chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy. Ipilimumab is a monoclonal antibody used to treat melanoma.
Signal transduction inhibitors: A substance that blocks signals that are passed from one molecule to another inside a cell. Blocking these signals may kill cancer cells. Vemurafenib is a signal transduction inhibitor used to treat advanced melanoma or tumors that cannot be removed by surgery.
Oncolytic virus therapy: A type of targeted therapy that is being studied in the treatment of melanoma. Oncolytic virus therapy uses a virus that infects and breaks down cancer cells but not normal cells. Radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be given after oncolytic virus therapy to kill more cancer cells.
Angiogenesis inhibitors: A type of targeted therapy that is being studied in the treatment of melanoma. Angiogenesis inhibitors block the growth of new blood vessels. In cancer treatment, they may be given to prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow.
Cancer Treatment Options
Most treatment plans combine several of these approaches. Your Virginia Cancer Specialists care team builds a plan around your specific diagnosis — explore each option below, or browse all treatments & services.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses powerful medicines to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth, and it remains one of the most widely used and effective cancer treatments. It can be given on its own or alongside surgery, radiation, or other therapies.
- Given by IV infusion or as pills, in planned cycles with recovery time between
- Delivered in our offices by our medical oncology team, close to home
- Often used to shrink a tumor before surgery or lower the risk of recurrence after
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses precisely targeted, high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells while sparing nearby healthy tissue. Virginia Cancer Specialists offers advanced, state-of-the-art radiation for a wide range of cancers and select benign conditions.
- Painless outpatient treatments that usually take only minutes a day
- Planned and delivered with image guidance by our APEx-accredited radiation oncology team
- Can be the main treatment, or support surgery and chemotherapy
Surgery to Treat Cancer
Surgery is one of the oldest and most effective treatments for cancer. For many cancers, removing the tumor offers the best chance for a positive outcome, often combined with other therapies before or after the operation.
- Used to diagnose, stage, and treat cancer, and to relieve symptoms
- Minimally invasive and robotic-assisted techniques when appropriate
- Coordinated with your medical and radiation oncologists as one care plan
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy helps your body’s own immune system recognize, target, and destroy cancer cells. Over the past decade it has transformed treatment for many types of cancer.
- Works with your immune system rather than attacking cells directly
- Usually given by IV infusion in our offices
- May be used alone or with chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapy
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy focuses on the specific genes, proteins, and other molecular features that help cancer cells grow and survive. By attacking what makes a cancer unique, it can be highly effective with fewer effects on healthy cells.
- Guided by biomarker and genomic testing of your cancer
- Taken as pills or given by infusion
- Often paired with chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or immunotherapy
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy treats cancers that use the body’s natural hormones to grow — most commonly breast and prostate cancers — by lowering hormone levels or blocking their effects.
- Usually pills or injections rather than infusions
- Can lower the risk of recurrence after surgery or radiation
- Managed by your medical oncology team, sometimes over months or years
Specialized Programs
CAR T-Cell Therapy Program — one of the most advanced treatments for certain blood cancers: your own immune cells, re-engineered to fight the disease.
Scalp Cooling — cold-cap therapy that can significantly reduce hair loss during many types of chemotherapy.
Clinical Trials & Research — access to tomorrow’s treatments today through the Virginia Cancer Specialists Research Institute.
Physicians
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The Supportive Cancer Care Team works in close partnership with each patient’s primary oncology team to ensure patients receive coordinated, comprehensive, seamless support that complements their current medical treatment. Patients have easy access to a team of compassionate experts – palliative care physicians, pain management specialists, social workers, nutritionists, nurse navigators, clinical coordinators, research coordinators, financial counselors, and many others who provide guidance, education, and emotional support every step of the way.
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Goals of Supportive Cancer Care
Virginia Cancer Specialists’ Supportive Cancer Care Program has 3 key goals:
Hallmarks of Our Supportive Cancer Care Program
While the primary goal is to improve quality of life for the patient and family throughout the treatment process, there are various ways in which this can be accomplished:
- Focusing on symptom management, including treating pain, insomnia, anxiety, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems
- Fostering open and honest communication
- Understanding the patient’s hopes and expectations
- Facing the realities of treatment and how it affects one’s life, including finances, employment, and more
- Providing support to caregivers and family
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