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UPMC CancerCenter Skin Cancer ProgramComprehensive Approach to Skin HealthFellowship Trained MOHS Physicians

Skin Cancer Program

Part of the UPMC CancerCenter

If you are faced with suspected or diagnosed skin cancer, you want expert care and treatment by a highly experienced team in a state-of-the-art facility.

The Skin Cancer Program, part of the UPMC CancerCenter, can provide this care. For people who are at risk of  skin cancer, or who have been diagnosed with it,  the program provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach and services at all stages of skin cancer, including:

  • Screening
  • Diagnosis
  • Management and follow-up
  • Patient education
  • Treatment options, including Mohs micrographic surgery

Services are provided through any one of five clinical sites throughout the Pittsburgh area. By coordinating preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services through a single network, the Skin Cancer Program facilitates easy, one-step access to advanced technologies and effective coordination of follow-up care.

Diagnosis and Treatment

For all types of skin cancers, our highly experienced specialists in the areas of  

  • Dermatology
  • Dermatopathology
  • Medical oncology
  • Surgery
  • Telemedicine
  • Epidemiology

will work with you during your diagnosis and treatment. We offer a wide range of treatment options, ranging from medicines to surgical options.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

The Mohs micrographic surgery procedure is a highly advanced technique for treating skin cancer that involves mapping diseased tissue in a very precise manner, facilitating complete removal of the skin cancer with minimal disruption to surrounding healthy skin.

Mohs micrographic surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, and people can go home the same day. Of all treatments, the procedure offers the highest potential cure rate — 99 percent — for skin cancer.

The types of cancer that are most appropriate for Mohs surgery are:

  • Located in cosmetically sensitive areas
  • Large, aggressive, or growing quickly
  • Recurrent
  • Those with ill-defined edges

At UPMC, we offer Mohs micrographic surgery, which offers a cure rate of up to 99%  for most non-melanoma skin cancer cases located in the region of the head and neck. To help ensure that our surgeons provide optimal care, Dr. Hakeem Sam and Dr. Melissa Pugliano-Mauro have both completed an American College of Mohs Surgery approved and ACGME-accredited fellowship in procedural dermatology/Mohs surgery. The ACMS fellowship training, originally established by Dr. Frederic Mohs himself, enables these two surgeons to successfully remove skin cancers and perform reconstructions on complex Mohs surgery cases.

The fellowship program of the ACMS is a benchmark of excellence in  Mohs surgery training. Dr. Sam and Dr. Pugliano-Mauro trained under expert  Mohs surgeons throughout this specialized, one or two year training program. As graduates of the program, they have additional expertise and exposure to challenging tumors and wound reconstruction.

The fellowship included:

  • Involvement in more than 500 Mohs surgery cases
  • Development of expertise by interpreting tissue samples removed during the procedure
  • Executing a variety of reconstructions, both common and complex

As graduates of the ACMS-accredited fellowship program, Dr. Sam and Dr. Pugliano-Mauro are equipped with added proficiencies and insight when working with any Mohs case. Mohs surgery is currently offered at our state-of-the-art surgical suites at UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC St Margaret.

Our Experts

Locations

UPMC CancerCenter Skin Cancer Program

  • Falk Medical Building
    3601 Fifth Ave., 6th Floor
    Pittsburgh, PA 15213
    Directions to Falk Valet Parking 
  • UPMC St. Margaret
    2585 Freeport Road
    One Alexander Center
    Suite 204
    Pittsburgh, PA 15238
    Get Directions
  • Hillman Cancer Center
    Cutaneous Oncology Center
    5115 Centre Ave.
    Pittsburgh, PA 15232
    Get Directions
  • Shadyside Place
    580 S. Aiken Ave., Suites 200 and 201 
    Pittsburgh, PA 15232
    Get Directions

In The News

Additional Resources

Contact Us

Whether your case is simple or complex, the Skin Cancer Program will help coordinate the interdisciplinary care that you need quickly and effectively.

Call 855-SKN-SPOT (855-756-7768) to be seen in one of our conveniently located offices.

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