Definition of Skin Cancer
Skin Cancer Testing Overview:
In order to gauge your current state of health, our clinic will often request copies of your last two years of medical testing and will often recommend further testing as needed. Our clinic does request some testing that is and not commonly performed in more "mainstream" medical clinics. 24-hour heavy metal testing with provoking agent, neurotransmitter analysis, food sensitivity testing, comprehensive stool testing and Candida antigen testing are commonly recommended by our medical staff. Some of these are discussed in detail in the links in this section.
What to Expect on Your First Visit:
First office visits typically last 45-60 minutes. Your doctor will review your intake form with you and gather a detailed medical history. A partial physical exam is usually performed and medical records are often requested from your primary care physician and/or other doctors. Specialty laboratory testing may be recommended. Most clients are offered an initial protocol consisting of nutritional supplementation, dietary and life style recommendations.
First Visit: Blood Test
To assess and identify kidney, liver, blood sugar and other key factors such as blood cholesterols. The results are explained to the patient, giving him/her a fuller understanding of the blood chemistry, so that they may take control.
Patients are required to fast for 14 hours before the test. Water may be drunk freely, but not tea, coffee, juices or other beverages. Appointments are normally arranged for mid-morning so that food and drink can be consumed up to 8pm the previous evening. On the day of the appointment, any prescribed medication should be taken with water as normal.
Patients are recommended to bring food to eat after the blood sample has been taken. Diabetics should advise the clinic, and separate arrangements will be made.
First Visit: Urine Analysis
To establish exactly how the kidneys are functioning. Patients are required to collect urine over a period of 24 hours. This should be as near the date of the blood test as possible, but must not include the 14 hours fasting period prior to the appointment.
A recommended timetable is that the first urine of the day should be excluded, than all subsequent urine for the next 24 hours collected in clean plastic containers. (If collection starts at 8am, this process must be followed until 8am the following day.) Eg. Appointment 10am Friday, fasting commences Thursday 8pm. Urine collection starts Wednesday 8am. until Thursday 8am.
Containers should be clearly labeled with the patient's names and brought to the clinic at the time of their appointment.
First Visit: Resting ECG for Doctors Report
The electrocardiograph (ECG) determines the condition of the heart and measures its actions and the pulse.
The doctor in charge reports any findings in his medical notes.
Specific Skin Cancer Testing:
Skin Biopsy
What is a Skin Biopsy?
A skin biopsy is a minor operation that is done by removing a piece of skin from the patient. The skin sample will be sent the laboratory for examination. A skin biopsy is used to diagnose many skin conditions.
Indications and Contraindications
A skin biopsy is used to identify cancer of the skin and bacterial and fungal infections and skin conditions such as psoriasis. It is done to the following patients with conditions that have a great risk for skin cancer:
- High levels of Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure: from tanning booths, high levels of exposure to x-rays, chemical exposure
- Genetic disorders such as albinism
- Presence of abnormal skin growths (mole)
- Scaly, rough skin
- Severe sunburn
- Fair skinned individuals
How do you prepare for a skin biopsy?
There is no fasting or special preparation required for a skin biopsy. Inform your physician of any medications you are taking such as anti-inflammatory medications as this may affect the results of your skin biopsy. Tell your doctor if you have bleeding problems and allergic reactions to other medications.
Wear comfortable clothing on the area where the skin sample will be taken from. Remove all jewelries that may get in the way of the operation.
How does it feel? How long will it take?
A local anesthetic will be administered to you but you will be conscious the whole time. You may feel slight pain as it is being injected but it will only last for a few seconds. As soon as the anesthetic takes effect and the skin is numb, skin biopsy will be done. This is a painless procedure and it will take 30-40 minutes to complete.
Effects after the test:
Keloids and scars may form at the biopsy site. In most cases, slight bleeding and tenderness may be experienced for several days after the procedure. Infection can also occur but it is rare.
Special Instructions after the test:
You will be given information on when you will have your stitches removed.
Follow your doctor's instructions on how to look after the biopsy site. You must keep it clean and protected by having the bandages in place at all times. If bleeding occurs, apply pressure on the biopsy site.
Notify your doctor if you are experiencing excessive bleeding, pain and swelling on the biopsy site.
Results:
Normal Findings: Negative
The skin sample is normal. There is no evidence of cancer cells, benign growths, infections and other skin diseases in the skin sample.
Abnormal Findings: Positive
Presence of noncancerous growths, cancer cells, bacterial and fungal infection is seen on the skin sample.
Inflammatory diseases that may be seen on the skin sample:
Notes:
Results may come out as false-positives or false-negatives. Further testing is recommended to accurately diagnose skin cancer, inflammatory diseases or infections.
The Right Diagnosis and Treatment for Skin Cancer
Once the comprehensive review is completed for each patient, our doctors and our team of medical professionals will evaluate your diagnosis. At this point, our doctors will spend one on one time with you to interpret and explain your results. Together you will explore your goals and discuss your treatment plan options. These treatment plans can be implemented using multiple modalities such as medications, hormones, diet, supplements, behavior and lifestyle changes, and alternative therapies. Our doctors will prescribe a preventative and comprehensive treatment plan that is tailored to your needs and fits into your lifestyle.
Patients Medical's Personal Approach to Skin Cancer
Our doctors and our team at Patients Medical will regularly monitor your progress and track the effectiveness of your program making adjustments if necessary. Our goal is to support you and advise you every step of the way.
We work in conjunction with your existing doctors. Any gaps between specialists are filled to ensure we support your overall health and well-being. While we treat serious medical conditions such as Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, anxiety, depression, and heart disease; the primary objective of our staff is prevention and early detection of disease.
Next Steps:
Poor health can significantly affect your life. Improve your life by changing to good health. Call our patient coordinator at 1-212-679-9667 or click on Request an Appointment to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors for evaluation and testing.
We are located at: Patients Medical PC, 800 Second Avenue, Suite 900 (Between 42nd & 43rd Street), Manhattan, NYC, New York, NY 10017.
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Article Last Updated: 06/26/2009