Hi all
Apologies as I know this has been covered before but I can't find much on it in the search function.
It is about time I got checked out for moles etc and don't really want to use the local GP as ....she's a bit rubbish!
Anyone want to point me in the direction of some good websites for skin cancer clinics, specialists etc.
I remember there being some really good advice on here a couple years ago or more but I seem to be only be able to go back a year in the search function
Thanks in advance
G
If you want the best and don't want unnecessary excisions, ask your GP for a referral to a dermatologist; they are the experts.
I'll just say, the option exists for the less scrupulous 'mole clinics' out there to 'play it safe' and remove what may not necessarily need to be removed.. They receive payment from Medicare for every excision performed. I don't know if it happens so much these days but, just saying..
I agree with Subculture - go down the dermatologist route for a proper checkup. I did not find the other places very thorough and they missed a few things that were picked up by the dermatologist.
The GP I use has a pretty good skin checking setup and one of the tools he uses is a MoleMax machine. Once a year I go in and they take a photo of my moles and then their checked on a monitor. There so detailed you can see the blood vessels under the skin and obviously any other weird things, the next year the same thing happens except this time both last year’s photo is viewed beside the new one to check for any changes. My advice would be to find a clinic with one of these machines. If something is found you can then decide what to do next… I have about 70 moles and I pay about $100 after rebates.
A friend of mine worked at Molescan and apparently they are very good.
My mrs goes there as she has a few freckles that she keeps an eye on and she's also happy enough with them.
I've had quite a few excisions having had the full gamut of things the sun throws at us, BCC thru Melanoma and I would recommend a Dermatologist that errs on the side of caution, nothing wrong with Biopsies just to be sure.
I am your average anglo backgrounded Aussie, freckles, a few moles, I had them checked annually by the GP. I had one small lump on my arm more like a babies milk pimple and less than a match head in size. I was advised it was nothing and didn't even get a biopsy.
A year or two later I was in the local Chemist and the girl at the counter saw the small lump on my arm and said I really should get it checked. Went to a different GP and got a referral to a specialist Dermatologist and low and behold, Melanoma, didn't get to leave the docs on the first visit without a having a major chunk of arm removed and then back for more 48 Hours Later.
Over the last six years I have been seeing the specialist 3 to 4 times per year for a full body check. In that time I've had quite a few more cancers cutout and I'm probably running a 7 out of 10 hit rate from the biopsies but we're getting them early when they're small. A little pin prick and a few bucks in cost is well worth the effort, because it's the ones they miss that will get you!
So my advice is See an expert and if your not happy move on until you find someone you can be confident in.
Deefer, I agree when you say “not happy move on...” and we can all help ourselves by checking our skin for changes between professional skin checks. I recently noticed a small opaque dot on my skin and got it checked then biopsied and it turned out to be a BCC. Excellent to hear you caught your Melanoma early enough to have it removed and thanks for sharing as it was a bit of a reminder for me to book in a skin check...
I go to a specialist in Brisbane twice/year. He takes a high res photo of every spot every visit. He knows what he is looking for and compares them to the past looking for change (now has 8 yrs of images to compare to). Biopsies for suspicious ones he is not sure of. So far I've had 8 nasties removed; they are confirmed by pathology for what they are and make sure they are complete (all removed). Last visit in Feb this year I didn't make it out, straight on the table and get one out?
For what it is worth, he is not much more expensive than a GP. I'm a pasty white freckly git that has spent far too much time in the sun, a full check takes over 1.5 hours. 
Dermatologists remove 3 suspicious moles that turn out normal for each melanoma removed.Skin cancer/mole clinics/GP's have ranged up to 60 for each melanoma in the past.
Mole scanning machines do not pick up pink,grey,light brown and pale melanomas very well.
Dermatologists have 3 years full time supervised training by specialists and several exams before gaining their qualification.
Some GP's working at skin cancer clinics may have very little extra skin cancer training - others more, before starting at their clinics.
Nearly all Doctors will pick up a serious melanoma easily.
Have been to molescan and happy I the past. Recently went to skin cancer specialist at my GP and she was excellent. Had a magnifier with camera and recorded images for future reference. Ask ur GP if they do same.
