Medicare Bulk Billing for all eligible patients· Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm· Muswellbrook Fair, Tenancy 16–17, Rutherford Road· (02) 6530 7404

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Skin cancer checks.The spot you notice matters.

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and there is no national screening program. It comes down to someone noticing — usually you, sometimes us.

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Before your skin check

Book a long appointmentA full check is head to toe and systematic. It does not fit into a standard consultation.

Come as you areNo makeup, no fake tan, and remove nail polish — skin cancer can appear under a nail.

Point things outBring a list, or a photo on your phone, of anything you have been watching.

Checked properlyHead to toe in good light, often with a dermatoscope

Treated hereMost biopsies and minor excisions are done in our treatment room

No referral neededBook directly — you do not need a referral for a skin check

Standard GP consultations are bulk billed for everyone with a valid Medicare card.

What to look forThe signs that matter The ABCDE guideChecking your own skin The skin checkWhat actually happens Who is at higher riskAnd how often to check If we find somethingBiopsies and treatment QuestionsThe things people ask BookLong appointment

You do not need to knowwhat it is.

Do not wait on theseA spot that is bleeding, growing quickly, or has not healed in four weeks should be seen promptly rather than at your next routine check. So should a new dark streak under a fingernail or toenail, or a sore that keeps scabbing and reopening.

You only need to notice that something has changed. Doctors are the ones who work out what it is — your job is simply to bring it in. Below are the changes worth acting on.

Book a skin check →

How often should I check my own skin?

About once a month is enough to notice change. Pick a routine — after a shower, on the first of the month — and get someone to check your back.

What if I am not sure it has changed?

Take a photo with something for scale beside it, like a coin, and compare in a month. If in doubt, book — nobody minds being shown a spot that turns out to be harmless.

Does a spot have to be dark?

No. Some skin cancers are pink, red, skin-coloured or pearly, and some look like a sore that will not heal. Colour alone does not rule anything in or out.

Shape & colour

Two halves that do not match

Shape & colourTwo halves that do not match

Draw an imaginary line through it. If one half looks different from the other, that is worth showing us.

Shape & colour

A ragged or blurred edge

Shape & colourA ragged or blurred edge

Harmless moles usually have a clean, even border. Notched, scalloped or fading-out edges are worth a look.

Shape & colour

More than one colour

Shape & colourMore than one colour

Several shades of brown, black, red, white or blue in the one spot is more significant than a single even colour.

Shape & colour

Bigger than a pencil eraser

Shape & colourBigger than a pencil eraser

Around 6mm across is the usual guide — but a smaller spot that is changing still matters more than a large one that never does.

Change over time

It is new, and you are over 40

Change over timeIt is new, and you are over 40

Genuinely new moles become less common with age. A new one in an adult deserves attention.

Change over time

It looks different to the others

Change over timeIt looks different to the others

Most people's moles look like siblings. The one that does not belong is worth showing us — it has a name, the ugly duckling sign.

Change over time

It has changed in months, not years

Change over timeIt has changed in months, not years

Growth, darkening, thickening or spreading over weeks to months is the pattern that matters.

How it feels

It itches or stings

How it feelsIt itches or stings

Most moles feel like nothing at all. Persistent itching or tenderness in one spot is worth mentioning.

How it feels

It bleeds or crusts

How it feelsIt bleeds or crusts

Bleeding without knocking it, or a scab that keeps returning to the same place, should be checked.

How it feels

It has become raised or firm

How it feelsIt has become raised or firm

A flat spot that becomes lumpy, or a soft one that firms up, has changed — and change is the signal.

Easy to miss

Your back and shoulders

Easy to missYour back and shoulders

The single most common place for a melanoma to be found late, simply because you cannot see it. Ask someone to look.

Easy to miss

Scalp, ears and neck

Easy to missScalp, ears and neck

Sun reaches them for a lifetime and hair hides them. A hairdresser sometimes spots these first.

Easy to miss

Soles, palms and under nails

Easy to missSoles, palms and under nails

Skin cancer can appear on skin that never sees the sun, including a new dark streak under a nail.

Easy to miss

Behind the legs and between toes

Easy to missBehind the legs and between toes

Awkward to see and easy to skip. A hand mirror solves both.

This is what to look for, not a way to diagnose yourself. Anything new, changing, or not healing after four weeks is worth an appointment — most turn out to be nothing, and that is a good outcome.

The ABCDE guide,for checking your own skin.

A simple way to describe what has changed, used by Cancer Council Australia. It is not a way to diagnose yourself — it is a way to notice, so you can tell us what you have seen.

AAsymmetryDraw an imaginary line through the middle. On an ordinary spot the two halves match. On one worth showing us, they do not.
BBorderA spreading, blurred or notched edge, rather than a clean, even one.
CColourBlotchy, with more than one colour in it — black, blue, red, white or grey mixed through the brown.
DDiameterA spot that is getting bigger, whatever size it started at.
EEvolvingAnything that is changing: growing, thickening, changing colour, or behaving differently to how it used to.

Plenty of skin cancers do not follow this pattern, so a spot that seems to pass is not cleared by it. If something is bothering you, bring it in regardless of what the letters say.

Book a skin check →

Most skin cancers are found by someone looking.A few minutes in front of a mirror every month, and a proper check when something has changed.

A full check ismore systematic than you expect.

It is not a glance at the spot you are worried about. It is a structured look at your skin from scalp to soles, in good light, usually with a dermatoscope — a magnifier with a light that shows patterns underneath the surface that the naked eye cannot see.

What to wear, and what to ask forYou will undress to your underwear and are covered with a gown or sheet throughout, with only the area being examined uncovered at a time. You can ask for a chaperone at any point, for any reason, and you do not need to explain why.

Book a long appointment →

How long does it take?

Longer than a standard consultation — book a long appointment and say it is for a full skin check so enough time is set aside.

Will I be examined all over?

A full check means scalp to soles. You stay covered except for the area being looked at, and you can decline any part of it.

Can I just have one spot looked at?

Yes, and that is a perfectly reasonable appointment. It is shorter than a full check — say which you want when you book.

1Tell us your historySunburns, time outdoors, solariums, family history and any previous skin cancers. It changes how closely we look.A few minutes

2The systematic lookScalp to soles in good light, including the places you cannot see yourself. Anything of interest gets the dermatoscope.The main event

3A plan for anything foundMost spots need nothing. Some get photographed and reviewed. A few need a biopsy, which we can usually do here.Before you leave

4When to come backBased on your risk, not a fixed rule. You will leave knowing when your next check is due.Your interval

Some skin needswatching more closely.

Everyone in Australia carries some risk. What changes is how often you should be checked, and that is a conversation rather than a formula.

Sun exposure here is not seasonalOutdoor work in the Upper Hunter means year-round exposure, not just summer weekends. If your job keeps you outside, say so — it changes the interval we suggest.

Ask what interval suits you →

How often should I be checked?

It depends on the list above. For many people once a year is reasonable; for someone who has had a skin cancer it may be every three to six months. We will suggest an interval and explain why.

Does sunscreen still matter at my age?

Yes. Risk accumulates for as long as you keep getting exposure, so protection continues to be worth it whatever your age.

What about vitamin D?

Most people get enough incidentally. If you are concerned, that is a conversation to have rather than a reason to skip sun protection — and it can be tested.

Higher risk

Fair skin that burns

Higher riskFair skin that burns

Skin that burns before it tans, especially with red or fair hair, freckles, and light eyes.

Higher risk

A lot of moles

Higher riskA lot of moles

More than about fifty moles, or several that are large or unusual looking, means closer monitoring.

Higher risk

Family history

Higher riskFamily history

A parent, sibling or child who has had melanoma raises your risk meaningfully.

Higher risk

Past skin cancer

Higher riskPast skin cancer

Having had one is the strongest predictor of having another. Regular checks matter most in this group.

Higher risk

Outdoor work or sport

Higher riskOutdoor work or sport

Cumulative exposure over years counts, not just the memorable burns.

Higher risk

Bad sunburns, especially young

Higher riskBad sunburns, especially young

Blistering burns in childhood or adolescence carry forward into adult risk.

Higher risk does not mean something is wrong. It means checking more often is worth the time.

Most of it is dealt withhere in the room.

Worth saying plainlyMost spots we look at turn out to be harmless. Of those that are not, the great majority are the common, slow types that are treated completely by removing them. Coming in early is what keeps it that way.

Finding something is not the emergency people imagine. Skin cancers found early are usually straightforward to treat, and a large part of that treatment happens in our treatment room rather than a hospital.

Book to have a spot checked →

Will it leave a scar?

Any removal leaves a mark. How noticeable depends on where it is and how your skin heals — we will tell you what to expect before anything is done.

Does it hurt?

Local anaesthetic stings briefly, then the area is numb. Most people describe pressure rather than pain.

Is it bulk billed?

The consultation is, with a valid Medicare card. Biopsies are bulk billed for pension and concession card holders. Other procedures, such as excisions, may attract a private fee — reception will quote you before it is booked.

In the room

Biopsy

In the roomBiopsy

A small sample taken under local anaesthetic and sent to pathology. It takes minutes, and you go home with a dressing.

In the room

Minor excision

In the roomMinor excision

The spot removed completely under local anaesthetic, with stitches and a wound review afterwards.

In the room

Cryotherapy

In the roomCryotherapy

Liquid nitrogen for sun spots and some early changes. Quick, done within the consult, sometimes repeated.

What happens next

Waiting for pathology

What happens nextWaiting for pathology

Results usually take several days. We will ask you to book to discuss them — reception cannot give results over the phone.

What happens next

Referral where needed

What happens nextReferral where needed

Some sites and some diagnoses are better handled by a specialist. We refer with the pathology and history attached.

What happens next

Follow-up checks

What happens nextFollow-up checks

After any skin cancer, the interval between checks shortens. That is routine, not a bad sign.

Full skin checks

Dermatoscope examination

Biopsies in our treatment room

Minor excisions

Cryotherapy for sun spots

Referral where needed

No referral required to book

Bulk billed consultations

Full skin checks

Dermatoscope examination

Biopsies in our treatment room

Minor excisions

Cryotherapy for sun spots

Referral where needed

No referral required to book

Bulk billed consultations

Full skin checks

Dermatoscope examination

Biopsies in our treatment room

Minor excisions

Cryotherapy for sun spots

Referral where needed

No referral required to book

Bulk billed consultations

Skin checkquestions, answered.

Do I need a referral for a skin check?

No. Book directly with us. A referral is only needed if you go on to see a specialist, and we write that for you.

How long should I book?

A long appointment for a full check. A single spot is shorter — tell reception which you want.

Is a skin check bulk billed?

The consultation is bulk billed with a valid Medicare card. If a spot needs testing, biopsies are bulk billed for pension and concession card holders. Other procedures may attract a fee, quoted before you go ahead.

What should I bring?

Nothing special. Come without makeup or fake tan, remove nail polish, and note anything you have been watching.

Can I bring a photo of a spot?

Yes, and it helps — especially if it shows how the spot looked a few months ago.

My spot has been there for years. Still worth checking?

Yes, if it has changed. Long-standing and stable is reassuring; long-standing and now different is not.

Do you use a dermatoscope?

Yes. It magnifies and lights the spot so patterns below the surface become visible, which makes checks considerably more accurate than the naked eye.

What if I am embarrassed?

Extremely common, and not a reason to put it off. You stay covered except for the area being examined, and you can ask for a chaperone.

General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.

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Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.

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Ongoing & preventive

Skin cancer checks.The spot you notice matters.

You do not need to knowwhat it is.

Two halves that do not match

A ragged or blurred edge

More than one colour

Bigger than a pencil eraser

It is new, and you are over 40

It looks different to the others

It has changed in months, not years

It itches or stings

It bleeds or crusts

It has become raised or firm

Your back and shoulders

Scalp, ears and neck

Soles, palms and under nails

Behind the legs and between toes

The ABCDE guide,for checking your own skin.

A full check ismore systematic than you expect.

Some skin needswatching more closely.

Fair skin that burns

A lot of moles

Family history

Past skin cancer

Outdoor work or sport

Bad sunburns, especially young

Most of it is dealt withhere in the room.

Biopsy

Minor excision

Cryotherapy

Waiting for pathology

Referral where needed

Follow-up checks

Skin checkquestions, answered.

Relatedservices.

Know the costbefore you come in.