How do skin cancer checks work?

What should you expect from your skin check at a dedicated skin cancer clinic? In this short video, Dr Vy Huynh walks us through the process of a full skin cancer check.

Watch the full video now:

In our heated or air-conditioned consultation rooms, your doctor will begin by asking you about your health history, including your family and personal history of skin cancer, your lifestyle habits and your sun exposure. This helps the doctor to better understand your skin cancer risk and may identify problem areas they need to pay special attention to during your skin check.

You will then undress down to your underwear, or whatever you're comfortable with. The more skin the doctor can examine, the more thorough your skin exam, and a modesty sheet can be provided to cover sections of your body at a time, so you are never fully exposed. You may also choose to bring a chaperone with you to accompany you in the room during the skin check.

The doctor will systematically examine your entire skin surface using a dermatoscope, which helps them to see under the skin's surface for any signs of malignant cells. The skin under your underwear is not routinely checked unless you have specific concerns there. If there is a lesion under your underwear you are unsure about, please let the doctor know.

Suspicious lesions are noted during the skin exam and returned to for further evaluation with dermoscopy and possibly a biopsy to confirm the doctor's diagnosis.

Watch all this and more in the full video above.