Our dermatologists are here to help improve the health and appearance of patients’ skin, and to diagnose and treat both benign and malignant skin conditions. We provide specialized care for the full spectrum of skin disorders, including acne, alopecia areata, psoriasis, inherited skin disease, and skin issues arising after organ transplant and during cancer treatment. We are one of two centers in the state with a pigmented lesion clinic, phototherapy center, and cutaneous lymphoma clinic. The clinical research efforts of our dermatologists have contributed significantly to the treatment of skin tumors such as melanomas and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. We are actively exploring the uses of advanced technologies such as photopheresis, a therapy for life-threatening and debilitating diseases like cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and graft-versus-host disease. A large portion of the department's research is performed through two separate research entities—the Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer Center and the Spitzoid Neoplasm Repository.

We offer sophisticated approaches for the management of skin cancers, ranging from the most common to the most complicated or rare. At the heart of our program is microscopically controlled excision, known asMohs surgery, the most successful treatment to cure recurrent or other high-risk skin cancers. We have been offering the procedure since 1998, and today, our physicians perform 3,500 Mohs surgeries each year. Mohs surgery has revolutionized the treatment of such skin cancers as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and the chances of lasting, disfiguring scars are minimized. In this procedure, the cancer is removed layer by layer, and, after each step, the tissue is examined under a microscope, allowing our dermatologists to confirm that all of the cancer cells have been eliminated as the surgery progresses. This maximizes the chances of removing all of the abnormal cells while still preserving as much of the normal skin tissue as possible.

The Melanoma Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital brings together an extensive, multidisciplinary team to diagnose, treat, and care for patients with melanoma and other skin cancers. Established over 30 years ago, our program includes experts in melanoma surgery, medical oncology, dermatology, pathology, dermatopathology, radiology, genetics, and radiation oncology. Members of the team are national and international leaders in clinical and laboratory research focusing on improving melanoma treatment. From patients who present with an early-stage diagnosis or more complex, metastatic disease, our team is prepared to provide each patient with the most comprehensive and cutting-edge treatment available. Each patient’s care will be reviewed by our multidisciplinary care team to develop a personalized treatment plan. Clinical trials are also available to patients through Yale Cancer Center, bringing the latest treatment options for melanoma to our clinics to benefit patients. Smilow Cancer Hospital places great emphasis on taking care of all of our patients’ needs through a network of supportive care services. Nurses with dedicated knowledge and skills related to the treatment of melanoma are available to care for our patients through the continuum of their treatment. Patients and their families also have access to social workers to provide psychosocial support, as well as pastoral support, nutritional counseling, physical therapy, palliative care, and integrative medicine. After the initial diagnosis—and depending on the presentation of the disease—each patient is evaluated by our dermatologists, surgeons, and/or medical oncologists. For some presentations of melanoma, particularly in the early stages in which disease has not spread beyond the primary site or lymph nodes close to the primary site, surgery may the preferred initial treatment. Specialized surgical expertise is essential for the management of melanoma, which can occur on any skin site and even in areas not exposed to the sun. Some melanomas appear in delicate areas such as the face, nose, ear, or hand and often require the expertise of a plastic surgeon. For certain regions of the body, our team collaborates with other highly trained surgical subspecialties, including thoracic surgery and neurosurgery. In the early stages of melanoma, pathology results from the tumor will determine the risk of developing metastases (spread to distant organs) in the future. If the results indicate a high risk for melanoma metastases, treatments are available to reduce the risk and possibly prevent or delay melanoma recurrence. Adjuvant therapies (or therapies given after surgery) include immunotherapies and targeted therapies for tumors with a specific mutation in the protein called BRAF. Depending on the melanoma presentation, CAT scans, MRI scans and/or PET scans may be used to determine if melanoma metastases are present in other parts of the body and to determine the extent of involvement of other body