Full Skin Examination
A skin examination is a safe, non-invasive way to have a specialist or accredited expert in the field scan your skin for any suspicious looking moles are “ugly duckling” spots, and do a detailed dermoscopy examination of these spots to rule out cancer. Your doctor will take a complete skin history, including previous skin cancers, other skin conditions, and allergies before doing the skin exam. The exam typically involves lying on a sterile medical examination bed and changing position a few times to allow for a detailed scan of your skin. DermaSurg uses custom privacy screens to ensure your privacy while you disrobe to your undergarments.
Dermoscopy (Dermatoscopy)
Expert use of dermoscopy has been shown to increase diagnostic accuracy for both melanocytic and non-melanocytic skin malignancies. The evidence for dermoscopy is such that it is now regarded as the standard of care for the evaluation of pigmented skin lesions. Dermoscopy is an advanced examination skill, and accredited specialist training is required for effective use.
Our doctors have completed accredited training in the use of dermoscopy and hold advanced certification in the field. They are Members of the International Dermoscopy Society.
Our doctors use advanced digital dermoscopy imaging technology, which is superior to standard handheld dermoscopy devices.
Total Body Photography with AI Decision Support
Total Body Photography (TBP) is a non-invasive, high-resolution imaging service that creates a comprehensive, digital record of an individual’s entire skin surface. It serves as a crucial baseline for monitoring moles and lesions over time to aid in the early detection of skin cancer, especially for individuals at higher risk. The images are used to track changes or new spots that might otherwise go unnoticed, supporting a doctor’s diagnosis and treatment plan.
A photographer takes a series of high-resolution images of your entire skin surface, covering all body areas. These detailed images are digitally stored and form a baseline record of your skin.
Artificial intelligence software is used to analyze these images, flagging suspicious changes and helping doctors monitor moles more efficiently.
Our skin specialists then review the images to assess any flagged lesions and determine if further investigation or treatment is necessary.
TBP is particularly beneficial for individuals at higher risk for skin cancer, including those with: Many moles, A personal or family history of skin cancer, Fair skin, A history of significant sun exposure or sunburn, and A history of tanning bed use
Mole Mapping (Mole photography)
The risk of a long-term mole changing into a melanoma is extremely low (0.0005 – 0.003% **), so routine mole mapping of all moles is not helpful in a meaningful way. It has been superseded by Total Body Photography, and there is no Medicare rebate (Medicare concluded there is no convincing evidence that this technology saves lives).
Not all “funny-looking” coloured lesions need immediate biopsy or removal. Certain types are monitored at DermaSurg for a specified timeframe (usually around 3 – 6 months) using so-called “focused mole mapping” to monitor for changes that might identify those lesions that do require biopsy. Research shows that 99% of lesions that do not change over a three-month period are benign, while 96% of melanomas will demonstrate subtle changes within 3 months.
People with extremely high individual risk of developing melanoma are also offered this service in combination with dermoscopy, which remains the gold standard examination to detect early melanoma.
** Tsao, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2003;139(3):282-288.
Skin Biopsy
A skin biopsy is one of the most important tools in the investigation and treatment of skin diseases and skin cancers. It involves the removal of a small piece of your skin for examination under a microscope by a specialist dermato-pathologist. The area is first cleaned and then a local anaesthetic is injected under the skin before the procedure is performed. There are several different types of skin biopsy including shave biopsy, punch biopsy, excisional biopsy, and deep shave removal biopsy. Most forms of biopsy require no sutures and heal spontaneously within a few days.
DermaSurg doctors normally perform shave biopsies for most type lesions and deep shave removal biopsies (saucerization) for pigmented (coloured) lesions as they heal fast and leave minimal scarring while providing good samples for pathologists to test. Occasionally an excision biopsy will be indicated and sutures inserted to optimize the healing process.
Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics
Non-melanoma skin cancers are far more common than melanoma, and make up over 85% of all skin cancer diagnoses. The two main types of non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
If you are diagnosed with a skin cancer you have a 50% increased risk of further skin cancers developing within 2 years. Skin cancers grow unpredictably, with some very quickly expanding or invading deeper layers, while others are very slow in getting bigger. It is best to get your skin cancer attended to as soon as possible. All skin cancers need to be removed, and most require some form of surgery. Most skin cancers treated appropriately and in a suitable time frame by an experienced skin surgeon will not recur or leave disfiguring scarring.
The larger the skin cancer, the bigger the excision needed to remove the cancer, the more scarring involved and the higher the cost of treatment. Medicare rebates are based on their size when removed.
While it is true that any doctor can cut out a skin cancer, not all possess the surgical skill needed to repair the surgical defect with the minimum amount of scarring and deformity. You will live a long time with the visible consequences of your decision, so please choose wisely.
You are not alone. By the age of 50, 1 in every 2 Australians have been diagnosed with a form of skin cancer. This increases to 2 in every 3 Australians by the age of 70.
The good news is that almost all forms of skin cancer is treatable and curable through relatively minor surgical or in some instances non-surgical treatments with a very high cure rate.
Non-melanoma (also called keratinocytic) skin cancers can be treated very effectively with chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), or immunotherapy, or combination therapies when they are detected early. Read more about these modalities.
Our doctors are very experienced in surgery of the skin (dermasurgery) and have completed accredited training courses in skin cancer surgery during their postgraduate education. Read more about skin cancer surgery at DermaSurg.
