Understanding Skin Cancer Diagnosis at Our Clinic
At our skin cancer clinic, accurate diagnosis is at the heart of what we do. With over 20 years of experience in diagnosing and treating skin cancers, we’re committed to providing our patients with the most reliable care. Here’s how our process works.
Step 1: A Simple Skin Cancer Check
To begin, we ask the patient to remove their clothes down to their underwear. Using a magnifying lamp, we carefully examine the entire skin surface, looking for any signs of skin cancer.
Step 2: Examining Suspicious Areas
If we spot any suspicious spots or lesions, we look at them more closely with a tool called a dermatoscope. This helps us see details under the skin’s surface to better identify any potential problems.
Step 3: Deciding on Further Action
After examining the spots, we either rule out skin cancer based on their appearance or decide to perform a skin biopsy.
Step 4: Skin Biopsy – The Gold Standard
A skin biopsy is the most reliable way to diagnose skin cancer. During this step, we take a small sample of skin from the suspicious area and send it to a lab for analysis under a microscope.
Step 5: Getting the Results
We’ll ask the patient to return in 1-2 weeks to go over the biopsy results. At that time, we’ll explain the diagnosis and next steps if needed.
A Note on AI and Skin Cancer Diagnosis
There’s a lot of hype around artificial intelligence (AI) tools assisting doctors in diagnosing skin cancer. However, as of now, no AI tools for diagnosing skin lesions are approved for use in Australia. The only way to confirm a skin cancer diagnosis is by analyzing a skin sample in the lab under a microscope.
Our priority is to provide patients with safe, accurate, and thorough diagnoses based on reliable methods.
A Note on Skin Cancer Monitoring
Regular monitoring is essential for detecting and managing skin cancer effectively. Your doctor will recommend how often you should come in for check-ups, based on your specific skin condition and risk factors.
If you’re considered high-risk, we may suggest check-ups every three months. For those with lower risk, visits might be spaced out to every six months or even once a year. At each appointment, we’ll conduct a thorough examination to make sure there are no signs of new or recurring skin cancers.
In some cases, your doctor may ask you to return sooner to confirm that treatment has been effective, ensuring the cancer has been completely removed and has not come back. Regular check-ups are a crucial part of skin health, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
