Home Services Skin cancer checks
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Most of it is found by someone noticing something — and almost all of it is far easier to deal with early.
Open Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm. No referral needed to see a GP.
We are a Medicare Bulk Billing Practice. Standard consultations are bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card.
We are a Medicare Bulk Billing Practice
Now Accepting New Patients
Walk-ins Welcome
Shop 12, 297–299 Brisbane Water Drive, West Gosford NSW 2250
Open Mon–Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Skin cancer checks
Australia has no organised skin cancer screening program the way it does for bowel, breast and cervical cancer. That means skin checks happen because someone decides to have one — usually after noticing something, or being told by a partner who can see their back.
A skin check is a systematic look at your skin under good light, with a dermatoscope for anything that needs a closer look. It takes longer than a standard consultation, so it needs to be booked as its own appointment.
What it covers
From a two-minute look at one spot to a full examination with procedures on site.
A systematic examination from scalp to soles, under good light, with a dermatoscope for anything that warrants it. We record what we find so the next check has something to compare against.
Wear something easy to change out of and skip the makeup and nail polish if you can.
One thing that has been bothering you. Perfectly reasonable as a standalone visit — you do not need to book a full check to have one spot looked at.
A handheld magnifier with polarised light that shows structures under the surface which are invisible to the naked eye. It is what turns “that looks a bit odd” into a decision.
Where a spot needs a definitive answer, a small sample is taken under local anaesthetic and sent to pathology. Usually a few minutes, and you go home with a dressing.
Removing a lesion in full, under local anaesthetic, with stitches where needed. Done in our treatment room rather than referred out, where it is suitable.
Liquid nitrogen for sun spots and some other superficial lesions, where that is the appropriate treatment. Quick, and it stings briefly.
After a procedure, dressings and suture removal are done here with our practice nurse rather than sending you elsewhere.
Some lesions belong with a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon — because of what they are, or where they are. We will say so, and write the referral.
How it works here
Skin checks are one of the appointments people are most unsure about, so here is the shape of it.
Longer than a standard consult, so it must be booked as its own appointment. Tell reception it is for a full skin check when you book.
Down to underwear for a full check, because skin cancer turns up on parts of the body that never see the sun. You can ask for our practice nurse to be in the room, and nothing has to be examined that you do not want examined.
It depends on your skin type, your sun history, your family history and whether you have had skin cancers before. Rather than a fixed interval, we will suggest what makes sense for you at the first check.
Depending on what it looks like: monitor it with a photograph and review, take a biopsy for a definite answer, remove it, or refer you. You will leave knowing which of those it is and when it is happening.
Usually several days to a week. Results get their own appointment so there is time to explain what they mean and what happens next.
The consultation is bulk billed with a valid Medicare card. Pathology on a biopsy is billed by the laboratory, usually directly to Medicare. If anything is going to cost you, reception will tell you before it happens.
Questions
There is no single answer and no national screening program. The right interval depends on your skin type, sun exposure history, family history and whether you have had skin cancers before. Your GP will suggest an interval at your first check.
A systematic examination of your skin from scalp to soles under good light, with a dermatoscope for anything that needs a closer look. It takes longer than a standard consultation and should be booked as its own appointment.
Biopsies and small excisions are done in our treatment room under local anaesthetic where that is suitable. Some lesions are better handled by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon because of what they are or where they are, and we will say so.
No. Book directly with any of our GPs.
The consultation is bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card. Pathology on a biopsy is billed separately by the laboratory, usually directly to Medicare.
Anything new after about age forty, anything that is changing in size, shape or colour, anything that bleeds, itches or will not heal, and any mole that looks different from your others. Ask someone to check your back.
This page is general information for people in the Gosford and Central Coast area. It is not advice about your situation and it does not replace a consultation. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call us on (02) 4311 3800. In an emergency, call 000.
Tell reception whether it is a full check or one spot, so the right amount of time is set aside. All Medicare-eligible consultations are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card.
Open Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm · Shop 12, 297–299 Brisbane Water Drive, West Gosford · Serving Gosford, West Gosford, Point Clare, Narara, Wyoming, Springfield, Tascott, Koolewong, East Gosford, Erina, Green Point and Lisarow.