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SKIN CANCER INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Is Skin Cancer?

 

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and Melanoma. BCCs and SCCs are the most common of the three cancers. Skin cancers are named after the type of cell they develop in, and each type has different features.

Melanoma is the least common of the three, but the most serious. BCC’s are slow growing, and most commonly found on the head, neck and upper body. They look like a lump or scaling area, which is red or pearly in colour. They can ulcerate, bleed easily and not heal.

SCC’s are most common in people over 50, on parts of the body which are exposed to the sun. They grow quickly over several months. They appear as a thickened red, scaly spot which ulcerates and bleeds easily. They can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated.

Melanomas appear as a new spot, or an existing spot, freckle or mole that changes in size, shape or colour. They can be anywhere on the body. They can be more than one colour and may have an uneven or smudgy outline or surface. They can itch, bleed or become larger or irregular in shape. If treated early, 95% of melanomas are cured.

 

Who Is At Risk?

 

Anyone who spent their childhood in Australia, or spends time in the sun, is at risk of developing skin cancer. This risk is also increases with:

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  • Age

  • A large number of moles

  • If you have suffered sunburn in the past

  • If you have fair skin that burns easily, freckles and do not tan

  • If you have blue or green eyes and/or fair or red hair

  • If you have been diagnosed with a skin cancer in the past

  • If you have a family history of skin cancer

  • If you have a compromised immune system

 

 

Who Needs To Check Their Skin?

 

Australians of all ages would benefit from regularly checking their skin for any new or existing spots, moles or freckles which change colour, shape or size. The risk of developing skin cancer also increases with age, meaning people aged 55 years and over should examine their skin regularly.

 

How Often Should You Check?

 

You should check your skin yourself approximately once every three months. You should also have your skin checked by a doctor on an annual basis.

However, if you notice any changes in your skin you should come in sooner.

 

How Do You Prevent Skin Cancer?

 

The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect your skin from the sun.
You can do this by:

 

  • Staying out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, when the UV radiation from the sun is strongest

  • Using shade from trees, umbrellas, buildings or canopies when outdoors

  • Wearing clothing that covers as much of the skin as possible—for example, a long-sleeved shirt with a collar

  • Wearing a broad-brimmed hat

  • Using sunscreen with SPF of 30+ and is broad spectrum and water resistant—reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating

  • Wearing sunglasses

 

Some sunlight is important for your health as Vitamin D, which maintains strong and healthy bones, is formed in the body when the skin is exposed to UV radiation. However you only need to be in the sun for about ten minutes on most days (before 11am and after 3pm) to produce enough Vitamin D for good health.

Guidelines before to your scheduled appointment:

 

  • In order to facilitate a thorough evaluation of your skin, please refrain from using makeup, nail paint, leaving marks on your skin or nails, and taking out your hair clips.

 

  • Examine your skin, select the moles that most worry you, and present them to your physician;

 

  • It's likely that you'll have to strip to your underwear. Therefore, please dress comfortably in loose clothing that you can put on and take off;

 

  • You can develop skin cancer on any part of your body. Thus, inform your physician to look under your underwear as well if you have any spots or are worried about any.
     

Our Services for Skin Cancer

We at Green Point Medical Centre think that taking short cuts during a mole check is never acceptable because they could endanger lives.
We provide the same level of care and attention to detail that we would demand for ourselves, our families, and our patients.


We make sure every site is examined and every spot is tested using the most up-to-date, gold-standard dermatoscope techniques for skin diagnostics. We also have a great deal of experience differentiating between benign disorders and malignant ones.

The Green Point Medical Centre is solely focused on the diagnosis and treatment of moles and skin cancer. Its purpose is founded on providing scrupulously comprehensive, full skin cancer examinations.

 

Our physicians have completed advanced training in skin cancer diagnosis and surgery.

We offer a complete, painstaking skin examination to check for skin cancer. Appointments for a full skin check take thirty minutes; however, people with an abnormally high number of moles are scheduled for forty-five or an hour.

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The examination of the toes and toenails, as well as the feet, front of the lower limbs, abdomen, chest, and front and sides (napes) of the neck, are the first steps in the skin check. Additionally, the patient is asked to roll over, and the procedure is then repeated. The entire back to the posterior neck, including the scalp, is examined, as well as the toenails and feet, the backs of the lower legs, thighs, and buttocks.
 

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