Mole Screening

During a mole screening session, your dermatologist will assess for any risk factors and examine you from head to toe to identify any suspicious spots or bumps, including moles, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers that may need to be tested or removed. Dermoscopy, digital dermoscopic monitoring and skin biopsies are utilized to make a diagnosis, while total body photography is available for patients at higher risk.


Related Problem(s):
Moles
Skin Cancer

Full Body Skin Examination

During a full body skin examination, your dermatologist will examine your skin from head to toe with the aid of dermoscopy to examine certain moles, spots or lesions. A biopsy may be recommended for suspicious looking lesions, while digital dermsocopic monitoring may be suggested for selected lesions.

Dermoscopy

Dermoscopy (also known as dermatoscopy and epiluminescence microscopy) eliminates surface reflections from the skin so that subsurface features that are otherwise imperceptible to the naked eye can be seen. Under dermoscopy, melanoma may demonstrate a number of features that are not seen in normal moles. Dermoscopy is also useful for evaluating other skin spots including cancers such as basal cell carcinoma.

Digital Dermoscopy

A digital dermoscopic image of a spot or mole can be taken, allowing a mole to be monitored for changes over time at a follow-up review.

Total Body Photography

For patients at higher risk of melanoma, a standardized set of digital images can be taken to cover the entire skin surface, from head to toe, to facilitate monitoring. This can help with self-monitoring in between visits to your dermatologist and are stored for future comparison. The photographic session lasts around 20 minutes. A CD containing the set of photographic images will be given to you.