Home » COSMETIC DERM » SKIN CANCER

Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center  ·  Santa Monica & Los Angeles

Skin Cancer Screening in Santa Monica

804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403  ·  Near Montana Avenue  ·  (310) 998-5533

Annual full-body skin cancer examinations, dermoscopy evaluation, precision biopsy, and early detection of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro at Kare Skin Health Center in Santa Monica

Call (310) 998-5533 — Book Your Screening Request an Appointment
 804 7th Street, Santa Monica CA 90403
 (310) 998-5533 — Annual Skin Exams
 Near Montana Avenue & Brentwood
 Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm
Dermatologistboard certified
Full BodySkin Cancer Screening
DermoscopyPrecision Lesion Evaluation
DermatopathologyCollaboration & Biopsy Reading
AnnualSkin Exams — All Skin Types

Early Detection Saves Lives

 

Skin Cancer Screening Santa Monica:
The Annual Exam That Can Save Your Life

Santa Monica and Los Angeles have one of the most favorable climates in the world — and one of the highest cumulative ultraviolet radiation exposure profiles of any major metropolitan population in the United States. Year-round outdoor activity, beach culture, and a climate that places residents outdoors in direct sunlight for more days per year than virtually any other urban community in the country creates a skin cancer risk profile that makes annual professional skin cancer screening not a luxury but a clinical necessity.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with more than 5 million cases treated annually. In the Los Angeles and Santa Monica community, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are diagnosed daily — and the overwhelming majority of patients whose cancer is detected at an annual professional skin exam survive with complete cure rates approaching 99%. The patients whose cancers are not detected until symptomatic — visible growth, bleeding, ulceration, or nodal spread — face dramatically more complex treatment and meaningfully reduced cure rates.

At Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD performs comprehensive annual skin cancer screenings with the meticulous head-to-toe examination technique, dermoscopy precision, and dermatopathology collaboration that define expert-level skin cancer detection — supported by double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian for precision carcinoma excision and reconstruction when surgical removal is required.

Skin Cancer Services at Kare Skin Health Center

  • Annual full-body skin cancer screening examinations
  • Dermoscopy evaluation of pigmented and vascular lesions
  • Shave biopsy, punch biopsy, and excisional biopsy
  • We work directly with dermatopathologists
  • Basal cell carcinoma diagnosis and excision
  • Squamous cell carcinoma treatment
  • Melanoma detection and surgical management
  • Actinic keratosis identification and treatment
  • Merkel cell cancer and rare skin tumor evaluation
  • High-risk patient monitoring: personal or family history
  • Pre-cancerous lesion management — cryotherapy, topicals
  • Coordination with oncology and Mohs surgery for complex cases
Diagnostic Precision — Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD

Recognizing What Others Miss

The lesion shown here demonstrates the clinical presentation of an advanced pigmented skin cancer — a large, irregularly bordered mass with multi-focal dark pigmentation, central ulceration with crusting and necrotic tissue, surrounding inflammatory erythema, and the hemorrhagic surface changes consistent with advanced basal cell carcinoma or nodular squamous cell carcinoma in a sun-damaged field of skin.

This presentation illustrates precisely why annual professional skin screening matters. At an earlier stage — months to years before this level of invasion and surface breakdown — this lesion was a small, potentially asymptomatic pigmented macule or papule that could have been identified by dermoscopy, biopsied, and treated with a simple in-office excision and primary closure. At this advanced stage, treatment requires significantly more extensive surgical excision, potential reconstruction, and histopathologic margin assessment.

Dr. Sierro’s diagnostic precision is built on formal dermatology training in clinical lesion evaluation, dermoscopy pattern recognition, and close collaboration with board-certified dermatopathologists who interpret every biopsy specimen with the same level of diagnostic rigor applied at the examination. This two-physician collaborative model — dermatologist evaluation and dermatopathologist interpretation — closes the diagnostic loop that solo provider practices cannot match.

Advanced pigmented skin cancer lesion showing irregular borders, multi-focal dark pigmentation, central ulceration, and surrounding erythema — clinical example from Kare Plastic Surgery skin cancer screening in Santa Monica Los Angeles
Clinical Features Demonstrated

Irregular, poorly defined borders  ·  Multi-focal dark pigmentation (brown, black)  ·  Central ulceration with hemorrhagic crusting  ·  Surrounding erythematous halo  ·  Surface architectural destruction  ·  Consistent with advanced BCC or SCC requiring biopsy, surgical excision and margin assessment

Board-Certified Dermatologist

 

Dr. Tiffany Sierro: Meticulous Skin Cancer Detection Built on Formal Dermatology Training

Dr. Tiffany Sierro is a board-certified dermatologist whose skin cancer practice is defined by the three pillars of expert-level dermatologic oncology: meticulous clinical examination, dermoscopy precision, and close dermatopathology collaboration. Her formal dermatology residency training encompassed the full spectrum of skin cancer diagnosis and management — from the subtle early presentations of basal cell carcinoma and lentigo maligna that require dermoscopy-enhanced pattern recognition to the complex reconstructive management of larger excisions and the coordination of care with oncology for melanoma staging.

Her dermoscopy technique — the use of a handheld polarized light dermoscope that provides 10× magnification and reveals subsurface pigmentation patterns, vascular architecture, and structural features invisible to the naked eye — is the clinical tool that most significantly increases sensitivity for early melanoma and pigmented basal cell carcinoma detection above unaided visual examination. Every pigmented and vascular lesion at Dr. Sierro’s skin cancer screening appointments receives dermoscopic evaluation, not selective application only to lesions that appear concerning on visual inspection alone.

Her dermatopathology collaboration — the close working relationship between the clinical dermatologist who identifies and biopsies the lesion and the dermatopathologist who interprets the histologic specimen — represents a diagnostic model that significantly improves diagnostic accuracy compared to general pathology interpretation of skin biopsy specimens. Dermatopathologists are specifically trained in the histomorphology of skin tumors and provide the nuanced diagnosis (tumor subtype, mitotic rate, invasion depth, margin assessment) that determines the appropriate surgical and oncologic management plan.

“A skin cancer screening is only as good as the attention applied to every square centimeter of skin being examined. Full-body screening involves the methodical and systematic attention to lesion identification.”

—  Kare Skin Health Center, Santa Monica

5M+Skin cancer cases treated annually in the US
99%Cure rate for BCC detected and treated early
AnnualSkin Cancer Foundation recommended exam frequency
10×Dermoscopy magnification — subsurface pattern recognition

Skin Cancers Detected & Treated

 

Three Primary Skin Cancers : Why Early Detection Matters

Common: 80% of Skin Cancers

Basal Cell Carcinoma 

The most common skin cancer — arising from the basal cells of the epidermis and almost exclusively caused by cumulative UV radiation exposure. BCC grows slowly and rarely metastasizes, but if left untreated invades progressively deeper into the dermis, subcutaneous fat, cartilage, and bone, causing significant local destruction. In the Santa Monica area, BCC is particularly common on the face, ears, scalp, and upper chest of long-term residents. Early BCC presents as a subtle pearly or translucent papule, a flat skin-colored or pink lesion, or a non-healing sore — presentations that are easily identified by an experienced dermatologist during annual screening but that many patients dismiss as a cosmetic blemish.

Treatment at Kare: Surgical excision with margin analysis  ·  Mohs referral for high-risk facial BCC  ·  Electrodessication and curettage for low-risk small BCC
Second Most Common: 25% 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma 

Squamous cell carcinoma arises from the squamous keratinocytes of the epidermis and, unlike BCC, carries a meaningful risk of metastasis — particularly in immunosuppressed patients, those with recurrent SCC, and SCC arising in high-risk sites including the lip, ear, and perineural locations. SCC frequently develops from actinic keratosis (pre-cancerous sun-damaged skin) through a progression that makes actinic keratosis identification and treatment a cancer prevention intervention, not merely a cosmetic procedure. SCC typically presents as a firm, red, scaly nodule or a non-healing crusted lesion on sun-damaged skin — the clinical presentation illustrated in the case image above. The Santa Monica and Los Angeles population’s high lifetime UV exposure makes SCC among the most commonly identified cancers at Dr. Sierro’s annual screening appointments.

Treatment at Kare: Excision with adequate margins  ·  Sentinel node evaluation for high-risk SCC  ·  Oncology coordination for metastatic disease
Dangerous: 5% of Skin Cancers 

Melanoma

Melanoma — arising from the melanocytes of the skin — is the most dangerous and potentially lethal form of skin cancer, responsible for more than 80% of skin cancer deaths despite representing only approximately 5% of skin cancer diagnoses. The key to melanoma survival is detection at the earliest possible stage: localized melanoma caught at Stage I carries a 5-year survival rate exceeding 98%; melanoma detected at Stage IV with distant metastasis carries a 5-year survival rate below 30%. This dramatic survival differential makes the annual professional skin exam the single most impactful melanoma intervention available — far more impactful in outcomes than any treatment administered after the tumor has progressed. Dr. Sierro’s dermoscopy examination provides the pattern recognition for early melanoma — including lentigo maligna, acral lentiginous melanoma, and melanoma arising in pre-existing nevi — that gives the patients she screens the best possible chance of early diagnosis.

Treatment at Kare: Wide local excision  ·  Sentinel lymph node biopsy coordination  ·  Oncology staging and adjuvant therapy coordination for advanced disease
Pre-Cancerous 

Actinic Keratosis (AK)

Actinic keratoses are rough, scaly patches of sun-damaged skin caused by years of UV radiation exposure that represent the precursor lesion from which squamous cell carcinoma most commonly develops. Individually, each AK carries a relatively low annual risk of malignant transformation — but patients with significant UV exposure histories typically have multiple AKs across sun-exposed areas, and the cumulative risk across a field of AK-affected skin is meaningful. AK treatment is cancer prevention: cryotherapy, topical 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, or photodynamic therapy that eliminates the pre-cancerous keratinocytes before malignant transformation occurs. Dr. Sierro identifies, characterizes, and treats all actinic keratoses discovered at screening appointments at Kare Plastic Surgery.

Treatment at Kare: Cryotherapy  ·  Topical 5-FU or imiquimod. 

The ABCDE Criteria

 

Recognizing Melanoma: The ABCDE System

The ABCDE criteria are the internationally recognized clinical framework for identifying pigmented lesions that require professional dermoscopy evaluation and potential biopsy. Any lesion exhibiting one or more of these features deserves prompt evaluation by Dr. Sierro at Kare Skin Health Center in Santa Monica.

A

Asymmetry

One half of the lesion does not match the other half in shape or color

B

Borders

Edges are ragged, notched, scalloped, or blurred.

C

Color

Multiple shades of brown, black, tan, red, white, or blue within a single lesion

D

Diameter

Although melanomas can be smaller, moles larger than 6mm are suspicious.

E

Evolution

Any change in size, shape, color, bleeding, itching, or crusting

The ABCDE criteria are a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma — which account for the vast majority of skin cancer diagnoses — frequently do not exhibit the ABCDE criteria associated with melanoma. BCC may appear as a pearly bump, a flat flesh-colored scar, or a sore that heals and returns. SCC may appear as a firm red scaly spot. Any non-healing sore, new growth, or changing lesion deserves professional evaluation regardless of whether it meets the ABCDE criteria. Annual professional skin cancer screening with Dr. Sierro is the most reliable detection strategy for all skin cancer types.

Know Your Risk

 

Who Needs Annual Skin Cancer Screening in Santa Monica?

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends annual professional skin cancer screening for all adults. Patients with any of the following elevated-risk factors benefit from more frequent screening — every 6 months in some cases.

Sun Exposure History

Significant lifetime UV exposure from outdoor work, beach activity, sport, or tanning — particularly in the Los Angeles and Santa Monica climate where year-round sun exposure is unavoidable.

Personal History of Cancer

A prior BCC, SCC, or melanoma diagnosis dramatically increases the risk of a second skin cancer — often in the same field of sun-damaged skin. Post-treatment monitoring every 6 months is standard.

Family History of Melanoma

First-degree relatives with a history of melanoma significantly elevate personal melanoma risk and warrant earlier initiation of annual screening and increased vigilance for atypical moles.

Fair Skin / Light Features

Fitzpatrick skin types I and II — fair skin, light hair, light eyes, tendency to burn rather than tan — carry the highest baseline UV-related skin cancer risk from equivalent sun exposure.

Immunosuppression

Organ transplant recipients and patients on long-term immunosuppressive medications have dramatically elevated SCC risk — some studies show 100-fold increased incidence compared to age-matched immunocompetent individuals.

Many or Atypical Moles

More than 50 moles, any moles larger than 5mm, or moles with atypical clinical features (irregular border, multiple colors) require regular professional evaluation and dermoscopy monitoring.

What Happens During a Skin Cancer Screening at Kare

 

Complete Medical and Sun History

Dr. Sierro takes a complete history including prior skin cancer diagnoses, family history of melanoma, lifetime UV exposure history, current and prior medications (particularly immunosuppressants and photosensitizers), any lesions the patient has self-identified as new or changing, and any symptoms including bleeding, itching, or non-healing sores. This history determines which areas receive enhanced scrutiny during the examination and which patients require 6-month rather than 12-month screening intervals.

 

Head-to-Toe Full-Body Examination

A complete skin cancer screening examines every surface of the body — scalp, ears, lips, face, neck, chest, back, arms, hands, fingernails, abdomen, genitals, legs, feet, and between the toes. The examination is performed with the patient in a gown, with adequate lighting and the systematic approach that ensures no anatomical zone is overlooked. Dr. Sierro pays particular attention to chronically sun-exposed areas, areas of chronic trauma, and locations that patients cannot easily self-examine.

 

Dermoscopy Evaluation

Every pigmented lesion and any vascular or unusual lesion identified during the visual examination receives dermoscopic evaluation with the polarized light dermoscope. Dermoscopy provides 10× magnification with subsurface illumination that reveals pigment distribution patterns, vascular architecture, and structural features — including regression structures, blue-white veil, atypical pigment network, and irregular streaking — that are not visible to the naked eye and that significantly increase sensitivity and specificity for early melanoma detection beyond unaided visual examination alone.

 

Biopsy & Dermatopathology Collaboration

Any lesion identified as suspicious on clinical and dermoscopic examination is biopsied at the same appointment — shave biopsy for superficial lesions, punch biopsy for deeper evaluation, or excisional biopsy for smaller pigmented lesions where complete removal is both diagnostic and potentially therapeutic. All specimens are submitted to Dr. Sierro’s affiliated board-certified dermatopathologists who provide histologic diagnosis, tumor subtyping, invasion depth assessment, and margin evaluation. The biopsy result is communicated to the patient with a specific management recommendation within 7–10 days of the specimen submission.

 

Precision Carcinoma Removal & Reconstruction

When skin cancer excision is required, Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center offers a unique clinical advantage that no standalone dermatology practice can provide: the same-facility surgical expertise of double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian for precision carcinoma excision and reconstruction of the resulting tissue defect. Facial skin cancer excisions — particularly those on the nose, eyelid, lip, ear, and temple — benefit from reconstructive closure that minimizes scarring and restores normal anatomy after tumor removal. This integrated dermatology-plastic surgery model eliminates the referral gap that frequently delays surgical management when dermatology and plastic surgery are at different practices.

Common Questions

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Skin Cancer Screening Santa Monica

Where can I get a skin cancer screening in Santa Monica?

Kare Plastic Surgery and Skin Health Center at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue offers annual skin cancer screening by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro. Call (310) 998-5533. We serve patients from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, West Hollywood, and all of Los Angeles.

How long does a full-body skin cancer screening take?

A comprehensive full-body skin cancer screening with Dr. Sierro takes approximately 30–45 minutes including the complete medical history, full-body examination, dermoscopy evaluation of suspicious lesions, and any immediate treatment of actinic keratoses identified during the exam. If a biopsy is performed at the same appointment, the total appointment time may extend to 45–60 minutes. Annual skin cancer screenings are covered by most PPO insurance carriers as a preventive care service — call (310) 998-5533 to verify your specific coverage before scheduling.

What is the difference between a skin check by a dermatologist vs. a primary care physician?

Board-certified dermatologists receive 3+ years of residency training specifically in skin cancer recognition, dermoscopy, and the management of the full spectrum of skin malignancies — training that primary care physicians do not receive during their medical education. Studies consistently show that board-certified dermatologists detect melanoma at earlier stages than primary care physicians, and that dermoscopy-enhanced examinations by dermatologists significantly outperform unaided visual examination in sensitivity for early melanoma. For patients with any personal or family history of skin cancer, significant UV exposure history, or numerous moles, a board-certified dermatologist is the appropriate provider for annual skin cancer screening.

Is skin cancer screening covered by insurance in Los Angeles?

Annual skin cancer screenings are covered by most PPO insurance plans as a preventive care service, particularly for patients with documented risk factors including personal or family history of skin cancer. Biopsies performed at the screening appointment are typically covered under diagnostic service codes. Kare Skin Health Center verifies insurance coverage before your appointment — call (310) 998-5533 to confirm your specific coverage and schedule your annual skin cancer screening with Dr. Sierro.

Find Us in Santa Monica

 

Kare Skin Health Center — Skin Cancer Screening Near Montana Avenue

Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center is located at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue. Dr. Tiffany Sierro sees skin cancer screening patients from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and all of the Westside. Annual skin cancer screenings are available by appointment — call (310) 998-5533 or book online.

Practice Information

  • Address: 804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403
  • Phone: (310) 998-5533
  • Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00am–5:00pm
  • Neighborhood: Near Montana Avenue, Santa Monica
  • Dermatologist: Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD (Board-Certified)
  • Plastic Surgeon: Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS
  • Insurance: PPO accepted — please verify before appointment

Communities Served

  • Santa Monica — all neighborhoods — 90402, 90403
  • Brentwood — 90049
  • Pacific Palisades — 90272
  • Malibu — 90265
  • Beverly Hills — 90210
  • West Hollywood · Culver City · Mar Vista
  • Westwood · West Los Angeles — 90025
  • All of Los Angeles

Related Resources at Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center

Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center  ·  Santa Monica  ·  Near Montana Avenue

Schedule Your Annual Skin Cancer Screening

Schedule your annual skin cancer screening with Dr. Tiffany Sierro, board-certified dermatologist at Kare Skin Health Center in Santa Monica — full-body skin exam, dermoscopy evaluation, precision biopsy, and dermatopathology collaboration for the most complete skin cancer detection available in the Los Angeles area.

(310) 998‑5533
 
Online Appointment Request 804 7th Street  ·  Santa Monica, CA 90403

Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center  ·  804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403  ·  Near Montana Avenue  ·  (310) 998-5533

Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD — Board-Certified Dermatologist  ·  Skin Cancer Screening · Melanoma Detection · BCC · SCC · Dermoscopy · Dermatopathology Collaboration  ·  Santa Monica · Beverly Hills · Brentwood · Pacific Palisades · Malibu · Los Angeles