Finding a strange spot on your skin is scary. Maybe a mole has changed shape, a sore on your nose won’t heal, or a rough patch keeps bleeding when you dry off. The worry doesn’t go away until someone looks at it — and with skin cancer, looking sooner really does matter.
Our skin cancer and surgical dermatology team in Springville, UT can often see you the same day. We examine the spot, biopsy it if needed, and read the sample in our own lab. If it is cancer, most treatment happens right here in the office, including a non-surgical option for many basal and squamous cell skin cancers.
Signs You Need a Skin Cancer Check
Dermatologists use the “ABCDE” warning signs for moles: Asymmetry, uneven Borders, more than one Color, a Diameter bigger than a pencil eraser, and Evolving — any change in size, shape or color. Other warning signs include a pearly or shiny bump, a sore that won’t heal or keeps scabbing, a rough, scaly red patch, a spot that itches or bleeds for no reason, and any new growth that looks different from your other moles.
Waiting makes skin cancer harder to treat. Basal and squamous cell cancers grow slowly but keep growing, and a spot treated early usually needs a smaller procedure with a smaller scar. Melanoma can spread to other parts of the body, which is why a changing mole should be checked promptly rather than at your next yearly visit.
Not every growth is cancer. Many are harmless cysts, lipomas or benign moles. A quick exam tells you which is which.
Our Skin Cancer & Surgical Treatment Options
Treatment starts with an accurate diagnosis. A Skin Cancer Screening is a head-to-toe look at your skin, scalp and nails. If a spot looks suspicious, your provider takes a small sample, which is read by a board-certified dermatopathologist in our in-house lab. The result guides what happens next.
For most basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers, and for melanoma, Skin Cancer Excision is the standard treatment. The cancer is removed with a margin of healthy skin around it under local numbing, the wound is closed with stitches, and the tissue is checked to make sure the cancer is out.
For certain basal and squamous cell cancers, especially on the nose, ears, eyelids or other hard-to-close spots, Image-Guided SRT is a non-surgical alternative. Low-energy X-rays treat the cancer with no cutting, no stitches and no anesthesia, over a series of short office visits.
Not every growth is cancer, and not every removal is urgent. Mole Removal removes moles that are suspicious, irritated or simply unwanted. Cyst & Lipoma Removal takes out painful or growing cysts and fatty lipomas in a short office procedure. Once a surgical site or injury has healed, Scar Revision can make a raised or wide scar less noticeable, and Acne Scar Treatment smooths the pitted and rolling scars acne leaves behind.
Skin Cancer Care for Springville and Utah County
Utah consistently ranks among the highest states for melanoma. Part of the reason is altitude: Springville sits around 4,500 feet, where UV exposure is stronger, and Utah’s outdoor life means years of sun on hiking trails, ski slopes and the water. Skin that burns easily runs in many Utah families, too.
Our Springville office on North Main Street sees patients from Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Salem, Payson, Provo and Orem, and our team also treats skin cancer at our offices in Provo, Tooele and St. George. St. George’s sunny desert climate and Tooele’s elevation bring the same concern.
If you have a history of sunburns, a family history of melanoma, many moles, or you work outdoors, regular full-skin exams with a dermatology provider are a smart habit, even when nothing seems wrong.
What to Expect
Call and we will look for the first opening, often the same day. Your provider examines the spot — and the rest of your skin if you would like a full check — and explains what they see. If a biopsy is needed, it takes a few minutes under local numbing, and we contact you with the result and the next step. Most excisions, mole and cyst removals happen in the office in under an hour. SRT is a series of short visits over several weeks. After a procedure you go home with written wound-care steps and a date to come back for stitch removal or a follow-up check. Our front desk can go over costs and insurance questions before your visit.
Why Choose Us for Skin Cancer Treatment
Dr. Michael Peterson is board-certified in both dermatology and dermatopathology, and completed his dermatopathology fellowship at UT Southwestern. The doctor who reads biopsy slides works inside the same practice. We also offer Image-Guided SRT in the office, same-day appointments, and four Utah locations. One patient put it simply in a Google review: our team’s care “ended up saving my skin of cancer.”
Looking for medical, cosmetic or laser care too? Visit our Springville dermatologist homepage for everything we offer.