Patient Gabriela Zlotolow’s regular, open communication with her primary doctor neutralized a skin cancer threat before it could spread.
For Venice Family Clinic patient Gabriela Zlotolow, her own proactive health care and her physician’s decisive action prevented an unfortunately all-too-common issue from becoming a much larger concern.
Zlotolow is a Venice, CA hairdresser who has been a Clinic patient for the last eight years. She is diligent about attending her annual physical exams and feels comfortable raising concerns with her primary care provider Amy Asheroff, NP.
“Having a relationship [with my PCP] makes a world of difference,” Zlotolow said. “The Clinic knows you, they check on you. It’s a big deal.”
At her recent physical, she told Asheroff that she’d noticed many new skin tags on her body, including on her neck. Asheroff agreed the skin tags needed attention, so she referred Zlotolow to Venice Family Clinic’s in-house skin specialist, Zaira Ortega, MD.
Ortega’s alarm bells went off when Zlotolow mentioned that one of the moles was itchy. Taking a closer look, Ortega noticed the hallmarks of a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma. Ortega recommended they remove the lesion then and there in the office.
“I was nervous,” Zlotolow said. “But Dr. Ortega talked me through the whole thing. She was amazing.”
Neutralizing the skin cancer threat
Basal cell carcinoma is a common form of skin cancer that’s primarily caused by sun exposure, explained Ortega. While people who are more prone to sunburns have a higher risk of developing these growths, anyone who has accumulated a lifetime of hours in the sun can develop a basal cell carcinoma.
When caught early, removing a skin tag like Zlotolow’s is all the treatment that’s needed. But if given time to grow, the cancer can spread outward or grow deeper into the skin and tissues below.
“If Gabriela were to have just left it alone for years, it would have probably invaded,” Ortega said.
Labs confirmed that the skin tag was cancerous, but a follow-up exam showed that the removal cleared all the cancer from the skin. At the second appointment, Zlotolow was able to get her benign skin tags taken care of, too.
“You’ve got to take a look at what’s going on in your body,” Zlotolow said. “If something changes or looks funny, ask your doctor and get them to check it out.”
The body talks through the skin
The fact that patients like Zlotolow take action on their skin concerns is one of the reasons Ortega is passionate about practicing dermatology.
“I love dermatology because people notice things, actually tell their doctors about it, and then get to see how it gets fixed,” Ortega said.
Ortega is a family medicine doctor who also received specialized training in dermatology for underserved people who might not ordinarily get skin health care. She primarily sees patients at Venice Family Clinic’s Torrance Skypark location. The Clinic also offers dermatology services every other Monday through a UCLA Resident rotation at the Chuck Lorre Rose Avenue Health and Wellness Center in Venice. Patients come in with concerns running the gamut from growths to scalp issues to skin discomfort and more.
Dermatology is an important supplement to primary care. Because dermatology is in-house at Venice Family Clinic, Ortega has access to patients’ full medical chart, which is helpful so she can put skin issues in context. For example, if a patient comes in with concerns about a sudden burst of new skin tag growths, Ortega will see whether they have a pre-diabetes diagnosis in their chart.
“Skin tags, a little-known diabetes symptom, can be a signal from your body that you are becoming insulin resistant,” Ortega said. “Sometimes when a patient’s body is trying to tell them something, it manifests through their skin.”
For clients who come in with lesions that may be due to skin picking, Ortega initiates a conversation about their stress levels. For example, recently she has seen symptoms of stress showing up on the skin of patients who are anxious about increased immigration enforcement activities. In these cases, Ortega refers them to Clinic mental health services for additional support.
The time to take proactive skin health measures is now
Many people only think about sunscreen in the summer, but Ortega reminds patients year-round about the importance of skin protection for preventing sun damage and even the development of skin cancer like Zlotolow’s basal cell carcinoma.
Ortega advises that patients stay covered up with SPF clothing when possible, apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30-50 every two hours, and avoid the sun at peak hours. Sunscreen lotion generally provides more complete coverage than a spray (though certainly use spray if that is what you have on hand!). She also suggests that putting on sunscreen should be a part of a daily routine every morning and reminds everyone not to neglect areas like hands and neck that get a lot of sun, but might not be as obvious as your face, chest and shoulders.
“Enjoy your life, but be responsible,” Ortega said.
And, like Zlotolow, one of the best ways to find that balance is keeping that annual primary care appointment and open lines of communication with your doctor.
“I think it’s essential that you go and see your doctor once a year,” Zlotolow said. “And if everything is pretty much the same? It’s a relief.”
Venice Family Clinic’s in-house dermatology care is made possible thanks to our donors and partners. A portion of Dr. Ortega’s salary and benefits is supported by L.A. Care Health Plan’s Provider Recruitment Program to benefit low-income and uninsured residents of Los Angeles County. The Dr. Ronald L. Moy Memorial Fund for Dermatologic Care also underwrites a portion of Clinic dermatology services. This fund honors Dr. Moy’s 26 years of service to Venice Family Clinic as a volunteer physician by ensuring that everyone has access to high quality care for skin conditions that affect health, dignity and quality of life.