Skin & Kidney Cancer Program

Each patient’s care is reviewed by our team to develop a personalized treatment plan. Clinical trials are also available through Yale Cancer Center. Our doctors are at the forefront of melanoma and other skin cancer treatment and research, including novel immunotherapy approaches.

After an initial diagnosis, each patient is evaluated by our dermatologists, surgeons, and medical oncologists.

For some people with melanoma and other skin cancers, surgery may be the first line of treatment. Some skin cancers appear in delicate skin areas such as the face, nose, ear, or hand, and often require the expertise of a plastic surgeon. Our team collaborates with plastic surgeons to ensure scarring is minimal.

Melanoma is also known to develop in areas of the body other than the skin, and our doctors are highly experienced in diagnosing and treating its unique forms.

Ocular melanoma, for example, is the most common eye tumor in adults. We collaborate closely with Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology to deliver comprehensive eye care.

Mucosal melanoma is found in the mucosal surfaces of the body that line nasal passages, the anus, vagina, and other areas. People with mucosal melanoma initially treated by head and neck, gastrointestinal, or gynecologic surgeons. No matter the type of melanoma, our Skin and Kidney Cancer Program experts provide input and manage postsurgical and follow-up care for patients.

For patients whose melanoma has spread to the brain, we also work closely with members of the Brain Metastasis Program, which includes medical oncologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, and radiation oncologists. Members of this team meet weekly to design optimal treatment plans and manage side effects.

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, but aggressive, form of skin cancer. Our radiation therapy experts treat people who have Merkel cell carcinoma as part of our multidisciplinary care approach, along with our medical oncologists.

For people who have kidney cancer, our team develops a personalized treatment plan that may combine breakthrough technology and cutting-edge medicine.

Advanced kidney cancer, or kidney cancer that has spread beyond the kidney, or cancer that is not able to be removed with surgery, is managed by our medical oncology experts. Treatments include immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and treatment targeting the blood vessels that feed kidney tumors. Our team engages in clinical research and has access to a menu of clinical trials for patients with advanced kidney cancer. Our goal is to increase long-term survival.

To care for people who have kidney cancer, our medical oncologists and urologic surgeons work closely together to surgically remove the tumor (partial nephrectomy) or remove the entire kidney (nephrectomy). Our surgeons use advanced minimally invasive approaches—including laparoscopic and robot-assisted techniques—to remove tumors through the smallest possible incisions, which can mean less discomfort, minimal blood loss, and a faster recovery.

Sometimes, if a tumor is small or a patient cannot safely have surgery, radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation may be considered. These treatments use a thin needle placed through the skin into a tumor. Heat (radiofrequency ablation) or freezing (cryoablation) is then used to destroy the cancer cells.

If there is a high risk that the cancer could spread after the primary tumor is removed, our medical oncology specialists may recommend further treatment to lower that risk.

The hereditary kidney cancer experts of the Skin and Kidney Cancer Program assist the unmet needs of those patients with less common forms or unusual presentations of kidney cancer, as well as to assist community physicians who may be less familiar with genetic testing and the specifics of clinical management.

Our comprehensive program evaluates and treats the following types of patients:

• Patients with early onset kidney tumors (presenting at age 45 or less)
• Patients with bilateral or multifocal kidney tumors
• Patients with significant family history with kidney tumors
• Personal or family history of other cancers, including tumors of the pancreas, uterus, thyroid, breast, brain or spine, adrenal gland, and melanoma
• Associated dermatologic skin conditions with or without a family history of kidney cancer such as fibrofolliculomas, leiomyomas, and angiofibromas

The program contains a team of experts within Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital focused on treating patients at elevated risk of hereditary kidney cancer. As part of our program, we have experienced genetic counselors, a clinical geneticist familiar with next-generation testing, and a molecular diagnostic team.

Our team’s expertise in the management of complex forms of kidney cancer led to a special designation by the VHL Family Alliance as one of eight Comprehensive Clinical Care Centers for hereditary kidney cancer. This designation highlights our commitment and ability to manage highly complex kidney cancer conditions.

Additionally, our molecular diagnostics team developed CLIA-certified methods for tumor characterization (PCR and FISH), specifically designed to identify acquired genetic events found in tumors in young adults. This ensures we are at at the forefront in understanding and treating genetic causes of kidney cancer disease.

Our Skin and Kidney Cancer Program has a long history of recognized and groundbreaking laboratory and clinical research into the causes and treatment of skin and kidney cancers. Patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma and kidney cancer have access to numerous clinical trials at Smilow Cancer Hospital including novel immunotherapies, vaccines, and targeted molecular therapy regimens. Additionally, patients who are no longer eligible for melanoma or kidney cancer-specific studies may be eligible for therapies through our Early Phase Clinical Trials Program.

The Yale Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Skin Cancer is the result of a grant awarded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to improve risk assessment, measures for diagnosis and prognosis, and therapies for patients with melanoma. As only one of five sites in the Unites States to receive a SPORE grant focused on skin cancer, Yale Medicine is in the unique position of being able to prioritize skin cancer research through several research projects and a career development program.

Yale Cancer Center is also home to several leading research laboratories that study the genetics and cellular changes that result in melanoma. Our researchers developed several mouse models that are used worldwide to study how melanoma forms and progresses, to test new melanoma therapies, and to see how the immune system can be stimulated to fight melanoma.

Our scientists and physicians are actively involved in cutting-edge research on new treatment options for kidney cancer. The laboratories studying kidney cancer at Yale School of Medicine have received funding from the NCI and the Department of Defense to support research into the mechanisms of response and resistance to immune therapy in kidney cancer at Yale Cancer Center.

Smilow Cancer Hospital places great emphasis on taking care of all our patients’ needs through a network of supportive care services. We believe that exceptional care goes far beyond medical treatment. From the moment you contact us, our intake specialists, clinical secretaries, and schedulers work to ensure you are fully prepared for your first visit and that your appointments are coordinated to fit your life. Additionally, nurses with dedicated knowledge and skills care for our patients throughout 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.