Click on the below links for answers to these questions:
Do I need to have a skin check?
The following increase your chance of developing Skin Cancer:
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Either you personally or a family member has had a skin cancer treated.
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You are an outdoors worker or you have been in the past.
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You participate in outdoor sport such as cricket, golf, horseriding, bicycling, running, or swimming
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You have been sunburned in the past, particularly as a child
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You have used tan accelerators such as coconut oil, olive oil or reef oil.
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You have used a solarium before, especially in your teens or twenties.
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You have more than 12 moles on either arm or more than 50 over your body.
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You have the type of skin that burns easily. ie Fair skin
At what age should I have my first skin check?
Generally we should have annual skin checks from about age 16 (however if there is a strong family risk of Melanoma or you have multiple (>50) moles present on your body then age 10 is recommended).
What happens in a full skin check?
When you attend for your appointment with Caton Medical for a full skin check the following occurs:
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You are greeted by one of our reception team, and if it is the first time you have seen us then you will be asked to fill in 2 forms, one for your personal details and the second about your health. (if you are a return patient then the reception staff will confirm your details (to make sure there have been no changes since last time).
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If you are booked for a Dermoscan then the nursing staff will do this prior to you seeing the doctor.
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When the doctor is ready he/she will call you into his / her consult room.
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The doctor will ask you a series of questions relating to your risk of skin cancer and any spots you are particularly concerned with.
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He / she will then ask you to undress to underwear so the examination can take place (if you wish a chaperone, this can be arranged).
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The doctor will then perform his/her examination, using a dermatoscope to look at individual lesions (spots).
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He / She may take photos as they go - and discuss these with you at the end. We are using Dermengine to catalogue our photos.
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He / She may use liquid nitrogen (Cryotherapy) as they go on areas of solar damage (Solar or actinic keratoses).
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In addition to checking all skin surfaces the doctor will also check in your mouth / check your 'glands' (lymph nodes) in your neck, under your arms and in your groin for signs of skin cancer.
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At the conclusion he/she will ask you to get dressed and invite you to sit and discuss the findings and any planned treatment or follow up.
What if I just have 1 or 2 spots I'm worried about?
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If you only have 1 or 2 spots you are concerned about we can book you in for a 'spot check' appointment. We run these in clinics and in between our other work.
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These normally take 10minutes or so and we look at a maximum of 4 spots.
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We may take photos if clinically relevant.
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We will discuss management of the spots that concern you within the consult.
What if the doctor finds something?
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If the doctor finds something, then photos may be taken.
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The doctor will discuss management of any lesions of concern within the consult.
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Management may include one or more of the following:
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Monitoring - in which case a review appointment will be made
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Topical creams - these vary in treatment length from a few days to 2-3 months.
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Cryotherapy
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Surgical excision - may initially be for diagnosis, rather than cure. This will be explained to you at the time.
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Our treatments are carried out in our Brookong Avenue rooms, or the Riverina Day Surgery
How often should I have a skin check?
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We recommend a full skin check and Dermoscan for all of our patients on an annual basis.
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Our higher risk patients may need a skin check as often as every 3months, with a dermoscan every 6 months as well. Your doctor will discuss this with you.