Center for Cutaneous (Skin) Cancers

Our approach to care for cutaneous cancer

Cutaneous cancers range from common to rare and aggressive, making early detection and expert evaluation essential. Our team comes to you with decades of research and clinical expertise to your care.

A full team of dermatologists, medical and surgical oncologists, oncology nurses, palliative care providers, and social workers support you before, during, and after treatment.

Surgery for skin cancer requires a high degree of skill. Our surgeons have extensive training and years of experience in the most advanced techniques for removing skin cancer, including:

• Advanced reconstructive surgeries
• Hypothermic isolated limb perfusion, to allow for high-dose chemotherapy
• Robot-assisted methods for precision therapy
• Mohs surgery to thoroughly remove skin cancer
• Sentinel biopsy to track cancer spread

Genetics can play a role in the development of certain skin cancers. We emphasize genetic testing and counseling to help identify inherited risk. In fact, our team has led the way in integrating genetic evaluation into the care of people with cutaneous cancers.

Our genetic counselors will talk with you about your family’s health history and test for changes in certain genes in order to:

• Offer you information about family history and prevention
• Tailor your treatment based on the genes involved

The Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute is a world leader in research that drives more effective treatments for cutaneous skin cancers. Our clinician-scientists are developing and improving ways to use the immune system to target cancer (immunotherapy).

We’re home to one of the first centers to adopt highly effective tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in standard-of-care therapy, which trains a patient’s immune cells to find and kill tumors. TIL therapy may be an option for some patients with advanced cutaneous cancers.