Dermatologic Oncology

Medical Director: Manish Khanna, MD

Clinical Administrator: Judy Bianco, N., MSc(A)

Nurse Navigator: Kathleen Sanzone, BScN

Dermatology Oncology serves as an interdisciplinary team evaluating and treating patients with all types of skin cancer. The Division of Dermatology is essential to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, serving both as a primary dermatological malignancy treatment centre and as an adjunctive diagnostic centre aiding in the diagnosis of other malignancies. Dermatology is often called upon by the Department of Oncology to perform biopsies of peculiar lesions that are malignant, enabling patients to undergo chemotherapy at a much earlier stage. In addition, dermatology is also used for staging to determine the extent of patients’ tumors and for planning the course of radiotherapy for patients with superficial cutaneous T-Cell and B-Cell lymphomas. In addition to Dermatology the Interdsiciplinary team includes Head and Neck Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Meical Oncology, Plastic Surgery and Pathology.

The Division of Dermatology performs Moh’s micrographic surgery for the treatment of high risk basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and lentigo maligna. Dr. Manish Khanna introduced the fresh tissue technique of doing Mohs surgery in the dermatology clinic in 2003, being the first centre in the McGill network to prepare and read frozen sections during Mohs surgery. The volume of Mohs surgery performed by Dr. Khanna and Dr. Geneviève Fortier-Riberdy is among the highest in the country. With this procedure, only the tissue involved with the tumor is removed thus eliminating excessive surgery. Reconstructive surgery is performed during the patients visit to repair the lesion after surgery. Patients are followed up to ensure proper wound healing. The rate of cure of these tumors using this procedure is 99%.

The team of nurses in the clinic provides support at the time of diagnosis and during the course of treatment for patients with skin cancer and their families. Education is provided to patients and families around diagnosis, treatment and skin cancer prevention strategies.

There have been recent additions to the team of experts in Dermatology Oncology. Dr. Annett Koerner, is a clinical and academic psychologist with experience in skin cancer. Dr. Alan Spatz, the new chief of pathology at the JGH, is an internationally recognized molecular pathologist who has made seminal discoveries in melanoma.

Clinical research being done by Dr. Khanna include studies on basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and skin cancer staging.

Family physicians frequently refer their patients to the clinic. However, most patients that are seen in dermatology oncology are referred to the clinic by other specialists such as Dermatologists, Ear, Nose and Throat surgeons or Plastic Surgeons.