Annual or Regular Skin Examinations

About Skin Cancer

• What is skin cancer?

  Skin Cancer is a common form of cancer in Australia, accounting for around 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers.
  There are three main types of skin cancer: Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma.
  Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma are the most common types of skin cancer and are sometimes call non-melanoma skin cancer.
  Melanoma usually begins as a new small spot, mole or freckle that changes colour, shape or thickness over months.

• Prevention

  Spending time outdoors does wonders for the body and mind. It is important to remember though, that your skin needs protection from the outdoor elements, especially the sun.
  Most people generally believe they are sun smart. They know to protect themselves against skin cancer when they are going to be in the sun for a long period of time, like when they go to the beach or pool in summer, but what most people don’t do is protect themselves against the harmful rays of the sun during everyday activities.
  For example, when gardening, riding a bike, walking to school, going to a football game or driving to and from work.

• Treatments

  There is no single method to treat all skin cancers and precancerous lesions.
  Choice of method is dictated by the size of the lesion, its location, its type (often confirmed by biopsy), and whether it is a primary or recurrent lesion.
  Also considered is the patient’s age, health, occupation and preference for treatment method.