Skin checks

Why get a skin check?

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Every year over 430,000 Australians are diagnosed with skin cancer. Whilst most skin cancers are relatively benign, about 1% of skin cancers are an aggressive type of cancer called melanoma.

Early Detection of Melanoma Saves Lives

Each year, over 1,600 people will die from Melanoma. Melanoma starts as a small growth in the skin, but later spreads to other parts of the body. If melanoma is detected early, the odds of survival are very good, typically above 95%. However, if the melanomia is detected late, the chances of survival are poor, about 20 – 60%.

Regular skin checks are an important tool for early detection of melanoma and other skin cancers.

Melanoma survival odds, early vs late detection.

Why choose a dedicated skin clinic for my skin check?

Bunbury Skin Cancer Clinic is dedicated to skin cancer. Our medical practitioners started as doctors in general practice, but have gone on to complete extensive training specifically in skin cancer medicine, and are now entirely focused on skin cancer diagnosis and treatment. Each of our medical practitioners will conduct thousands of skin checks per year. Skin cancer screenings can be challenging, but you can be assured that our medical practitioners conduct their screenings with a high degree of accuracy, and also a decreased possibility of false alarms and unnecessary surgery.

What to expect during a skin check?

During a skin cancer check, you will need to undress to your underwear. The medical practitioner will briefly displace your underwear to inspect the skin on your breasts, buttocks, and lower abdomen without fully removing the garments. Typically, the examination does not include the genital or nipple areas unless you specifically request these areas to be checked due to concerns about moles or suspected lesions.

It is important to remove all make-up, including nail varnish, prior to the examination, as these can mask early detection of skin cancer, such as melanoma under the nails. Additionally, the soles of your feet will need to be examined, so please ensure you remove any socks or stockings.

The medical practitioner will use a dermatoscope and examination lights to conduct a thorough examination of your skin. With the advanced DermEngine technology, the process ensures precise and accurate assessment, enhancing the detection of any potential skin cancers.

Typical screening results

This graph illustrates summary results, averaged over many different skin checks conducted by BSCC medical practitioners.

Key takeaways from these results:

One person in every two will have actinic keratosis (sunspots), which indicate damage to the skin, and can later develop into cancers.
One in seven people will be found to have a non-melanoma skin cancer at time of screening (SCC or BCC). Early detection is associated with less invasive or complex treatment, and improved cosmetic outcomes following treatment.
One person in every fifty will be found to have a potentially-fatal melanoma, usually found in the very early stage. Sometimes these cancers are located in odd places, such as on the soles of the feet or underneath fingernails.
With early detection, the survival odds for the people with melanoma are good (> 95%).