Medical Skin Cancer Checks
Regular skin cancer checks are important and we recommend booking a medical skin check, especially if you have been exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time.
What Is Involved In Medical Skin Cancer Checks?
During the appointment, we will check your skin from head to toe using a device called a Dermatoscope. The doctor in charge will ask at the start if you have any moles of concern which they will pay special attention to during the assessment.
At UV Skin Cancer Clinic, we also take photos of your skin with advanced photo screening technology called “FotoFinder”. This machine allows us to monitor moles and lesions and gives us a baseline for future comparisons. If someone is worried that a lesion or mole has changed or a new one has come up, we can go back to those photos.
The initial consult takes 30 minutes and reviews are a standard 15 minutes.
If the doctor concludes that something suspicious needs to be acted upon, they will discuss with you to do a biopsy (in which only part of the lesion is removed and sent over for pathological examination) or excision (in which the lesion is totally removed).
Why UV Skin Cancer Clinic?
There are multiple advantages to booking an appointment at UV Skin Cancer Clinic which includes:
Convenient access to assessment via a primary care doctor, reduced appointment wait times, increased continuity of care, regular skin checks, and image database, earlier detection can reduce treatment complexity, provide appropriate reassurance where appropriate, patient education and enhanced patient awareness.
Additionally, skin cancer clinics are set up so that people can book appointments online without a referral, which means it is generally much easier to schedule skin checks quickly.
UV Skin Cancer Clinic is part of the Bluff Road Medical group providing immediate care and long term health to valued patients in Melbourne.
Professional Expertise
The Skin Cancer Doctors are qualified from Australasia’s leading educational bodies.
Advanced Technologies
We have invested in the most advanced technologies to support the doctors deliver the most accurate assessment.
FAQs
What is a Mole mapping?
Mole mapping is a clinical procedure wherein you take photos of moles for assessment of their growth over time. UV Skin Cancer Clinic is using FotoFinder technology to magnify moles to better observe their deeper structures to detect early skin cancers. These images then can be used for future reference at follow-up visits in monitoring any changes. This technology is strongly advised for high-risk patients with a personal history or family history of skin cancer.
When should you get a molecheck?
We recommend having a molecheck at least once a year. If we notice a suspicious mole or lesion, we will either biopsy it or request that you return in 1-3 months. Afterwards, we will review any changes in moles that we initially flagged as signs of potential skin cancer.
What should I do if I see a suspicious growth on my skin?
Please schedule an appointment with your GP or skin doctor immediately for a professional review and obtain medical advice. The sooner you do this, the better.
What is a biopsy?
If your doctor has concerns about a mole or lesion on your skin, they may recommend a biopsy to determine whether it is cancerous. This can be performed on-site within our clinic at Bluff Road Medical. What we do here is take a small sample of the mole to send for pathology testing.
Why should you have a skin check-up?
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. In fact, two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they’re 70. For that reason, it’s extremely important to be vigilant about your skin and to have regular check-ups. The sooner a skin cancer is identified and treated, the better the prognosis.
How often should you have a skin check-up?
Many of us may remember the “Slip, Slop, Slap” campaign, which stands for the following:
- Slip-on protective clothing to cover your skin,
- Slop on some sunscreen that protects your skin from UV light,
- Slap on a hat to shade your face from UV sunlight