The Dermatology Unit, in operation since 2015, follows a regular plan of skin cancer monitoring in close coordination with the Risk Assessment Programme.

Most treatments of skin cancers are surgical. At the Dermatology Unit, we perform Mohs micrographic surgery, the most efficient technique for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer. Mohs micrographic surgery enables the assessment of the tumour’s margins in real time, allowing the removal of only those areas where the tumour is present with microscopic accuracy. This technique combines the highest cure rate, a substantial preservation of healthy skin, and better cosmetic results.

For malignant melanoma, non-surgical treatment has notably evolved in the last decade, with a substantial improvement in the disease’s prognostic. The Dermatology Unit at the Champalimaud Foundation, in conjunction with other specialties, has at its disposal the necessary techniques for the adequate diagnosis and staging of malignant melanoma. It also has the necessary means, including the most innovative medical therapeutics, to treat this disease from its initial forms to its most advanced phases.

In all phases of skin cancer, therapeutic decisions are based on international guidelines such as those promoted by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the European Society for Medical Oncology and the European Academy of Dermato-Oncology.

The advanced forms of skin cancer require discussions and approaches within interdisciplinary teams. At the Champalimaud Foundation, we benefit from the joint work of the Dermatology Unit and other specialties at the level of interdisciplinary teams, aiming at the most adequate therapeutic approach for each specific case.