Skin Cancer Checks
If you are fair skinned individual who burns easily and with a personal or a family history of skin cancer, funny moles, malignant melanoma mole you should have your skin and moles checked every six months.
Your GP has gone through years of training in picking up skin cancers especially malignant melanoma moles. . This is part of your normal three monthly health check. A complete head to toe look can by requested by you but book a double appointment. Avoid applying facial make up if the mole is on the face.
Suspicious skin lesions if they are especially basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer and advanced malignant melanoma are easy to diagnose with inspection of the skin and perhaps a little magnification with good light. The difficulty arises when there are a bit funny (atypical) and you have many of them (Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome). That is when dermoscopes play a major part in distinguishing those which need a biopsy or monitored or left alone being benign.
Early skin cancers including malignant melanomas , BCC (basal cancers), SCC (squamous cancers) and atypical moles are easy to diagnose by a skin surface microscope called a Dermoscope. We also use teledermatology to improve the diagnostic accuracy.
Use sunscreens and sun protection measures to avoid skin cancers
New Zealand has the highest melanoma mole rate in the world. Prevention is paramount, using a wide brimmed hat, avoiding long sun exposures and using day long sunscreens will help your skin from burning which prevents skin cancers developing
Skin Cancer Checks and Treatment
If you are new patient and wish to have a skin cancer mole check and have your skin cancer treated at the same time, book an appointment online, choose Dr. Siva Nachiappan from the list and indicate in the special instruction box you are a new patient and you are coming in to have your moles checked. Alternatively you can ring the reception on 09 585 0188.
Click here for examples of mole surgery done at Eastmed Doctors