Skin Cancer Mole Check Information Hampshire UK
The biggest advance in examining the skin in the last 20 years
- It helps pick up early skin cancers, and, especially, malignant melanomas while they can still be cured.
- It reduces the need to cut out moles, to find out whether or not they are skin cancers, by 75%
What is mole scanning?
"Mole scanning" is the popular name for using a device that looks through the outer layer of the skin directly at the mole cells.
Dr Fairris was one of the first Dermatologists in the UK to use a Dermatoscope and has taught many other doctors the skills he has learnt.
The instrument used is called a Dermatoscope and the science of mole scanning is called Epiluminescence.
Mole scanning relies on an experienced person to pick the right moles to examine and an experienced doctor, usually a Dermatologist, to interpret the image.
What are the advantages of mole scanning?
Mole scanning can quite literally save life if it detects a malignant melanoma in the early stages of its growth while it can still be cured by surgery.
Research shows that mole scanning devices allow some early malignant melanomas to be detected which would otherwise have been missed.
The research also shows that doctors who use mole scanning devices are four times less likely to subject their patients to unnecessary diagnostic surgery.
What are the disadvantages of mole scanning?
Unfortunately, research also shows that untrained personnel using mole scanning devices are less likely to detect an early malignant melanoma than if they used the naked eye alone.
What is involved in mole scanning?
Dr Fairris will examine all your moles and select which moles need scanning.
The scanning device with its attached camera is then placed on the skin and photographs are taken of each mole. Dr Fairris will then examine each image on a large screen and show you the important features.
If the mole does not need to be removed, you will be sent copies of the images so that you can keep the mole under observation in the future and report back if any changes occur.
Anyone with large moles should then examine all their moles every four months.
Only people with a high risk of developing a malignant melanoma require regular medical follow up.
