Skin Cancers Treatment Team

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is ready to help if you or your loved one has been diagnosed with skin cancer. Massey features an award-winning medical team dedicated to providing the most precise diagnosis, the highest-quality treatment, including innovative clinical trials, a full range of support services and compassionate patient care.

Today, more than half of all patients diagnosed with cancer can be cured, and many others will live long, full lives even with their disease. But getting an accurate diagnosis and the most effective treatment from the very beginning is essential.

Gene's Story

Learn how the Massey skin cancer treatment team used a multidisciplinary approach to treat Gene's cancer.

Overview

Leading-edge care for melanoma and other skin cancers

Massey features an award-winning medical team dedicated to caring for patients with all forms of skin cancers, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma and other rare skin cancers. We offer a level of expertise and experience only found at the top 4 percent of cancer centers across the country recognized as National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Massey is the only center in the Richmond area, and the first of only two in Virginia, designated by the NCI to lead and shape America’s cancer research efforts.

Hallmarks of Massey's skin cancer care

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center offers tremendous advantages and expertise in the care of skin cancers. Our medical team is composed of specialists from multiple fields who all have expertise in skin cancer and collaborate to develop the most effective treatment plan for each patient. Many of our doctors are also active scientists, participating in cutting-edge research in our labs and through collaborative clinical trials offered only at NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers like Massey.

Discover the 5 Cs that make us the right choice for your skin cancer care. Choose Massey for your skin cancer care because we are:

Cutting-edge

The skin cancer team at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center consists of national leaders in cancer care and research from multiple disciplines who work together to provide the highest-quality diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. By pooling their expertise, our doctors are able to make the best decisions and give the most comprehensive advice and information.

Comprehensive

The skin cancer team at Massey offers an integrative approach with a full range of treatment options that support patients' strength and well-being while improving quality of life through treatment, recovery and survivorship. We also offer support services that range from helping minimize pain, symptoms and side effects to helping cope with the cognitive, emotional and psychological effects of cancer.

Collaborative

Cancer care generally requires multiple forms of therapy and various specialized doctors and specialists, who work as a team to treat the patient. Massey pioneered the region’s only multidisciplinary approach, in which specialists from numerous medical backgrounds collaborate in teams to coordinate all aspects and stages of patient care – and conveniently provide that care in multiple locations. This approach ensures that patients will receive the ideal combination and sequence of treatment.

Compassionate

Through respectful, attentive and compassionate care, Massey’s care team builds healing relationships with patients that help reduce suffering from cancer. We recognize that each patient’s medical, social, emotional and personal needs are unique, which is why patients have access to resources such as social workers, psychologists, legal and financial assistance, support groups, educational workshops and more.

Customized

Recognizing that each patient is unique and each type of cancer is different, Massey provides treatment strategies and care plans tailored and individualized to the patient. Patients also have direct access to a nurse navigator, who will provide guidance as they move through the health care system and treatment process.
Treatment
Progress against skin cancers

Exciting advancements have been made in the treatment of skin cancers, especially melanoma. Massey doctors are on the forefront of these developments, and many new treatments were made available as clinical trials prior to becoming approved for commercial use by the FDA. Thanks to new precision drugs and immunotherapies, long-term survival is now possible for patients with advanced skin cancers.

Massey offers the full range of treatment options for skin cancers led by the region’s largest and most specialized team of experts. We partner with VCU Health Dermatology for rapid, accurate diagnosis and evaluation, seamless coordination of care and long-term surveillance and follow-up for high-risk patients with early-stage cancers. Through genetic counseling we can help determine who is at the greatest risk for cancer recurrence and partner with those patient’s referring providers for active surveillance and preventative treatment.

A dedicated nurse navigator guides each patient through their care, helping to coordinate appointments and ensure smooth transitions. We also have a variety of resources available, including social workers, rehabilitation experts, occupational therapists and other integrative health and supportive care resources for patients and their caregivers.

Treatments for skin cancers may include:

Surgery

There are several different surgical procedures that may be used to treat various forms of skin cancer. Some may be performed by a dermatologist with advanced training and some may be performed by a surgical oncologist, depending on the cancer type and stage of the disease. Types of surgeries include:
- Simple excision: In this procedure, the tumor is removed from the skin along with some additional tissue to ensure complete removal.
- Mohs micrographic surgery: A dermatologist with specialized training removes the tumor from the skin in thin layers. Throughout the procedure, the tissue is examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells. While sparing as much healthy tissue as possible, layers continue to be removed until there is no evidence of cancer.
- Curettage and electrodesiccation: This procedure, also known as electrosurgery, uses a sharp, spoon-shaped tool called a curette to remove the tumor from the skin. An electrode then sends an electric current to the area to stop the bleeding and destroy remaining cancer cells. The process may be repeated to remove all of the cancer.
- Cryosurgery: Cryosurgery, or cryotherapy, uses liquid nitrogen or another solution to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue.
- Dermabrasion: This removes the top layer of skin using a rotating wheel or abrasive particles to rub away tissue.
- Laser surgery: This uses a laser beam to make bloodless cuts in tissue or to remove a surface lesion.
Targeted therapy

Targeted therapies use drugs or other substances to attack specific weaknesses in the cancer cell, usually a genetic mutation or specific molecules involved with cancer growth. These therapies typically cause less harm to healthy cells than chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Several new targeted therapies have been approved for melanoma and other skin cancers in recent years, and scientists are constantly searching for new molecular targets that may eventually lead to clinical trials testing promising new drugs and other treatments.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy refers to a treatment that helps the immune system identify and attack cancer cells. There are a few different types of immunotherapies:
- Checkpoint inhibitors have been revolutionary in the treatment of patients with advanced skin cancers. It is difficult for the immune system to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells, so these drugs target molecules on immune cells that enable them to recognize and attack cancer cells. PD-1 inhibitors, such as Keytruda or Opdivo, for example, block the expression of a protein known as PD-1, which acts as a switch or checkpoint that helps keep T-cells from attacking other cells. These drugs “take the brakes off” the immune system and allow it to attack cancer cells.
- Cellular therapies are a different type of immunotherapy that modifies a patient’s own immune cells in a laboratory to attack cancer. An example of this type of therapy uses immune cells known as tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), which are immune cells that have been able to penetrate the tumor. These cells are collected from the tumor when it is removed, millions of copies are grown in the lab and then are injected back into the patient to help prevent recurrence or attack other tumors that aren’t surgically treatable.
- Cytokines, such as interferon-alfa and interleukin-2 (IL-2), are proteins that give an overall boost to the immune system. These drugs can help shrink tumors and are sometimes used in combination with other treatments. .
- Viral therapies, or oncolytic virus therapies, use viruses that have been modified to primarily infect and kill cancer cells and to alert the immune system to attack the cancer.
- Imiquimod cream (Zyclara) is a topical cream that stimulates a local immune response against cancer cells. This therapy is only used for very early cancers.
Chemotherapy

In most cases, chemotherapy works by targeting rapidly dividing cells and interfering with their ability to grow or reproduce. Different groups of drugs work in different ways to fight cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be used alone for some types of cancer or in combination with other treatments such as radiation or surgery. Often, a combination of chemotherapy drugs may be used, and certain chemotherapy drugs may be given in a specific order depending on the type of cancer it is being used to treat.

Radiation

Radiation therapy uses highly focused doses of radiation to kill cancer cells. Massey’s Radiation Oncology Department is home to nationally renowned radiation oncologists, medical physicists and dosimetrists, as well as the latest technology and practices, all coming together to offer the best available care. Massey has even pioneered new radiation therapy techniques and devices that have become standard of care nationally.

There are two types of radiation therapy:

External beam radiation therapy uses state-of-the-art linear accelerators to deliver a highly focused beam of radiation to the tumor. Massey utilizes the latest in MRI imaging technologies to destroy as much cancer as possible while sparing healthy tissue.

Internal radiation therapy, also known as brachytherapy, uses radioactive substances inserted into needles, wires or catheters to kill cancer cells from directly inside the tumor or nearby the tumor. This form of radiation therapy can offer advantages such as higher dose rates and sometimes shortened treatment plans.
Research

Life-saving discoveries

At VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, you’ll have access to the most advanced therapies and the latest technologies. Some of these therapies were discovered and developed right here at Massey, where our doctors collaborate closely with our research scientists to bring new research breakthroughs to patients in the form of clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies that help the medical community discover new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure diseases. With one of the largest selections of cancer clinical trials in Virginia, Massey gives patients expanded treatment options and new hope every day.

For example, Massey surgical oncologist Giao Phan, M.D., is leading a clinical trial for advanced melanoma patients that uses immune cells harvested from inside of the tumor to help fight the disease. These cells are isolated in a lab, and then millions of copies are made and injected back into the patient to fight the cancer and prevent recurrence.

Additionally, medical oncologist Andrew Poklepovic, M.D., is heading up a stage 2 clinical trial testing immunotherapy after surgery to prevent cancer recurrence in melanoma patients.

Learn more about clinical trials at Massey CLICK HERE
Resources
Support services

At VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, we believe that treating the whole person, not just the disease, is the best way to care for patients and family members coping with cancer. We take a holistic approach to address not just your medical and physical needs, but also your psychological, emotional and social needs. We offer comprehensive cancer support services to care for you throughout your cancer journey that range from helping minimize symptoms and side effects to helping evaluate and cope with the emotional and psychological effects of cancer. These services include:
- Communication assistance
- Integrative health resources, including acupressure, art therapy, music therapy, pet therapy and tobacco cessation counseling. Complementary therapies are not substitutes for medical care but are used together with medical treatments to help patients alleviate stress and anxiety, reduce pain, manage symptoms and promote a feeling of well-being.
- Financial assistance for qualifying patients in need
- Genetic counseling by board-certified genetic counselors in Richmond’s only Familial Cancer Clinic
- Healing garden
- Legal assistance for qualifying patients in need
- Lodging for qualifying patients in need
- Nutritionists
- Palliative care by an international award-winning team for the management of pain and symptoms, including an outpatient Supportive Care Clinic
- Patient education, including libraries and health programming geared to cancer patients and their caregivers
- Pharmacy services, including in-hospital oncology pharmacies
- Psychological counseling
- Rehabilitation by one of the nation’s longest-running cancer rehabilitation programs with physical, occupational and speech therapy especially geared for cancer patients
- Spiritual counseling
- Social work for patients in need
- Support groups
- Transportation assistance for qualifying patients in need – ask your social worker for more information
- Wig salons that provide free hats, scarves and wigs as well as private head-wear consultation services
Click below for a full list of our patient support services:

Click here for
PATIENT RESOURCES

Click here for
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH

Leading-edge care for melanoma and other skin cancers

Massey features an award-winning medical team dedicated to caring for patients with all forms of skin cancers, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma and other rare skin cancers. We offer a level of expertise and experience only found at the top 4 percent of cancer centers across the country recognized as National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Massey is the only center in the Richmond area, and the first of only two in Virginia, designated by the NCI to lead and shape America’s cancer research efforts.

Hallmarks of Massey's skin cancer care

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center offers tremendous advantages and expertise in the care of skin cancers. Our medical team is composed of specialists from multiple fields who all have expertise in skin cancer and collaborate to develop the most effective treatment plan for each patient. Many of our doctors are also active scientists, participating in cutting-edge research in our labs and through collaborative clinical trials offered only at NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers like Massey.

Discover the 5 Cs that make us the right choice for your skin cancer care. Choose Massey for your skin cancer care because we are:

Cutting-edge

The skin cancer team at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center consists of national leaders in cancer care and research from multiple disciplines who work together to provide the highest-quality diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. By pooling their expertise, our doctors are able to make the best decisions and give the most comprehensive advice and information.

Comprehensive

The skin cancer team at Massey offers an integrative approach with a full range of treatment options that support patients' strength and well-being while improving quality of life through treatment, recovery and survivorship. We also offer support services that range from helping minimize pain, symptoms and side effects to helping cope with the cognitive, emotional and psychological effects of cancer.

Collaborative

Cancer care generally requires multiple forms of therapy and various specialized doctors and specialists, who work as a team to treat the patient. Massey pioneered the region’s only multidisciplinary approach, in which specialists from numerous medical backgrounds collaborate in teams to coordinate all aspects and stages of patient care – and conveniently provide that care in multiple locations. This approach ensures that patients will receive the ideal combination and sequence of treatment.

Compassionate

Through respectful, attentive and compassionate care, Massey’s care team builds healing relationships with patients that help reduce suffering from cancer. We recognize that each patient’s medical, social, emotional and personal needs are unique, which is why patients have access to resources such as social workers, psychologists, legal and financial assistance, support groups, educational workshops and more.

Customized

Recognizing that each patient is unique and each type of cancer is different, Massey provides treatment strategies and care plans tailored and individualized to the patient. Patients also have direct access to a nurse navigator, who will provide guidance as they move through the health care system and treatment process.

Progress against skin cancers

Exciting advancements have been made in the treatment of skin cancers, especially melanoma. Massey doctors are on the forefront of these developments, and many new treatments were made available as clinical trials prior to becoming approved for commercial use by the FDA. Thanks to new precision drugs and immunotherapies, long-term survival is now possible for patients with advanced skin cancers.

Massey offers the full range of treatment options for skin cancers led by the region’s largest and most specialized team of experts. We partner with VCU Health Dermatology for rapid, accurate diagnosis and evaluation, seamless coordination of care and long-term surveillance and follow-up for high-risk patients with early-stage cancers. Through genetic counseling we can help determine who is at the greatest risk for cancer recurrence and partner with those patient’s referring providers for active surveillance and preventative treatment.

A dedicated nurse navigator guides each patient through their care, helping to coordinate appointments and ensure smooth transitions. We also have a variety of resources available, including social workers, rehabilitation experts, occupational therapists and other integrative health and supportive care resources for patients and their caregivers.

Treatments for skin cancers may include:

Surgery

There are several different surgical procedures that may be used to treat various forms of skin cancer. Some may be performed by a dermatologist with advanced training and some may be performed by a surgical oncologist, depending on the cancer type and stage of the disease. Types of surgeries include:

Simple excision: In this procedure, the tumor is removed from the skin along with some additional tissue to ensure complete removal.
Mohs micrographic surgery: A dermatologist with specialized training removes the tumor from the skin in thin layers. Throughout the procedure, the tissue is examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells. While sparing as much healthy tissue as possible, layers continue to be removed until there is no evidence of cancer.
Curettage and electrodesiccation: This procedure, also known as electrosurgery, uses a sharp, spoon-shaped tool called a curette to remove the tumor from the skin. An electrode then sends an electric current to the area to stop the bleeding and destroy remaining cancer cells. The process may be repeated to remove all of the cancer.
Cryosurgery: Cryosurgery, or cryotherapy, uses liquid nitrogen or another solution to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue.
Dermabrasion: This removes the top layer of skin using a rotating wheel or abrasive particles to rub away tissue.
Laser surgery: This uses a laser beam to make bloodless cuts in tissue or to remove a surface lesion.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapies use drugs or other substances to attack specific weaknesses in the cancer cell, usually a genetic mutation or specific molecules involved with cancer growth. These therapies typically cause less harm to healthy cells than chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Several new targeted therapies have been approved for melanoma and other skin cancers in recent years, and scientists are constantly searching for new molecular targets that may eventually lead to clinical trials testing promising new drugs and other treatments.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy refers to a treatment that helps the immune system identify and attack cancer cells. There are a few different types of immunotherapies:

Checkpoint inhibitors have been revolutionary in the treatment of patients with advanced skin cancers. It is difficult for the immune system to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells, so these drugs target molecules on immune cells that enable them to recognize and attack cancer cells. PD-1 inhibitors, such as Keytruda or Opdivo, for example, block the expression of a protein known as PD-1, which acts as a switch or checkpoint that helps keep T-cells from attacking other cells. These drugs “take the brakes off” the immune system and allow it to attack cancer cells.
Cellular therapies are a different type of immunotherapy that modifies a patient’s own immune cells in a laboratory to attack cancer. An example of this type of therapy uses immune cells known as tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), which are immune cells that have been able to penetrate the tumor. These cells are collected from the tumor when it is removed, millions of copies are grown in the lab and then are injected back into the patient to help prevent recurrence or attack other tumors that aren’t surgically treatable.
Cytokines, such as interferon-alfa and interleukin-2 (IL-2), are proteins that give an overall boost to the immune system. These drugs can help shrink tumors and are sometimes used in combination with other treatments. .
Viral therapies, or oncolytic virus therapies, use viruses that have been modified to primarily infect and kill cancer cells and to alert the immune system to attack the cancer.
Imiquimod cream (Zyclara) is a topical cream that stimulates a local immune response against cancer cells. This therapy is only used for very early cancers.

Chemotherapy

In most cases, chemotherapy works by targeting rapidly dividing cells and interfering with their ability to grow or reproduce. Different groups of drugs work in different ways to fight cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be used alone for some types of cancer or in combination with other treatments such as radiation or surgery. Often, a combination of chemotherapy drugs may be used, and certain chemotherapy drugs may be given in a specific order depending on the type of cancer it is being used to treat.

Radiation

Radiation therapy uses highly focused doses of radiation to kill cancer cells. Massey’s Radiation Oncology Department is home to nationally renowned radiation oncologists, medical physicists and dosimetrists, as well as the latest technology and practices, all coming together to offer the best available care. Massey has even pioneered new radiation therapy techniques and devices that have become standard of care nationally.

There are two types of radiation therapy:

External beam radiation therapy uses state-of-the-art linear accelerators to deliver a highly focused beam of radiation to the tumor. Massey utilizes the latest in MRI imaging technologies to destroy as much cancer as possible while sparing healthy tissue.

Internal radiation therapy, also known as brachytherapy, uses radioactive substances inserted into needles, wires or catheters to kill cancer cells from directly inside the tumor or nearby the tumor. This form of radiation therapy can offer advantages such as higher dose rates and sometimes shortened treatment plans.

Life-saving discoveries

At VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, you’ll have access to the most advanced therapies and the latest technologies. Some of these therapies were discovered and developed right here at Massey, where our doctors collaborate closely with our research scientists to bring new research breakthroughs to patients in the form of clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies that help the medical community discover new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure diseases. With one of the largest selections of cancer clinical trials in Virginia, Massey gives patients expanded treatment options and new hope every day.

For example, Massey surgical oncologist Giao Phan, M.D., is leading a clinical trial for advanced melanoma patients that uses immune cells harvested from inside of the tumor to help fight the disease. These cells are isolated in a lab, and then millions of copies are made and injected back into the patient to fight the cancer and prevent recurrence.

Additionally, medical oncologist Andrew Poklepovic, M.D., is heading up a stage 2 clinical trial testing immunotherapy after surgery to prevent cancer recurrence in melanoma patients.

Learn more about clinical trials at Massey CLICK HERE

Support services

At VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, we believe that treating the whole person, not just the disease, is the best way to care for patients and family members coping with cancer. We take a holistic approach to address not just your medical and physical needs, but also your psychological, emotional and social needs. We offer comprehensive cancer support services to care for you throughout your cancer journey that range from helping minimize symptoms and side effects to helping evaluate and cope with the emotional and psychological effects of cancer. These services include:

Communication assistance
Integrative health resources, including acupressure, art therapy, music therapy, pet therapy and tobacco cessation counseling. Complementary therapies are not substitutes for medical care but are used together with medical treatments to help patients alleviate stress and anxiety, reduce pain, manage symptoms and promote a feeling of well-being.
Financial assistance for qualifying patients in need
Genetic counseling by board-certified genetic counselors in Richmond’s only Familial Cancer Clinic
Healing garden
Legal assistance for qualifying patients in need
Lodging for qualifying patients in need
Nutritionists
Palliative care by an international award-winning team for the management of pain and symptoms, including an outpatient Supportive Care Clinic
Patient education, including libraries and health programming geared to cancer patients and their caregivers
Pharmacy services, including in-hospital oncology pharmacies
Psychological counseling
Rehabilitation by one of the nation’s longest-running cancer rehabilitation programs with physical, occupational and speech therapy especially geared for cancer patients
Spiritual counseling
Social work for patients in need
Support groups
Transportation assistance for qualifying patients in need – ask your social worker for more information
Wig salons that provide free hats, scarves and wigs as well as private head-wear consultation services